Heat Activated
by cucumber07
Summary: Leah's in heat, and "for her own safety", she has been placed under temporary lockdown. When she finally decides she's had enough of this constant supervision and manages an escape, she finds herself in a very interesting situation with Jacob and Paul.
1. Twice the Spice

**Heat Activated**

**By: Cucumber07**

**Chapter 1- Twice the Spice.**

Heat Cycle.

It was a term Leah Clearwater had come to despise over the past year. Becoming the only female wolf in history had it's perks at first, in fact, she'd rather enjoyed it. The freedom, the excitement. It was something that she needed. Something she craved. Until that first cycle hit. Every two months she spent an entire thirteen days locked under her mother, her brother and Billy Black's attention. They watched her every second of every day. Seth patrolled with her. Seth ate with her. Seth watched TV with her. It was sickening. She was twenty one years old, with a live in baby sitter that just so happened to be her younger brother. She wasn't allowed around _any_ pack members from either pack under any circumstances. Sam was the only one with an imprint, but apparently someone getting a hold of her during this said cycle would have been a disaster of catastrophic proportions. Says Sue. Leah could understand in ways. She was sure her mother didn't want to know that for thirteen days out of every other month someone would be fucking the hell out of her daughter, but then again, it was just sex. The mere thought of them repulsed her, but still, if it happened… so what?

It wasn't as if it would be a permanent thing. It was just a part of being in a pack of wolves. That's what happened in a normal pack, right? Did they really expect her to stay locked up for thirteen days every other month for the rest of her unnatural life? She was bound to get antsy sometime. She was bound to get sick of being a prisoner in her own home eventually. They were going to have to let her out, even if that meant a run in with one of the other wolves. How did they even know that they wouldn't be able to control themselves? This had never been thought of before. She was the first female wolf in _history_. Not just in the La Push pack. It wasn't like they could really anticipate what would happen if she did accidentally stumble upon one of them in the middle of a cycle. For all they knew she could do what she always did and just beat them until they backed off. Or maybe, because they were in human form, it wouldn't affect them the way they thought. At this point, she could care less.

Leah sat brooding and contemplating her thoughts of how wrong they could actually be, staring blankly out of her bedroom window. The forest looked so inviting. It was the perfect time of day for a run. The sun was still out and bright, but the humidity was gone. She could just feel the light breeze coursing through her fur. It was her favorite thing to do, the best feeling she'd ever experienced. She would have given anything to just jump out the window and take off, but Seth would be home any minute. He'd never let her get far. She'd tried before, and it ended with her on full lockdown for the rest of her cycle. She hadn't tried since then.

She knew her mother thought it was best, but how could _this_ be best. She wasn't literally a fucking dog. They couldn't expect her to stay away forever. Eventually, someone was going to fuck up and be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The past year had been hell. Thirteen days had never seemed like a long time, until she was locked in the house. She'd tried to keep herself occupied. She'd organized her closet by color, size, style and season. She'd taken to cooking every meal. She cleaned for countless hours on end. And somewhere along the line, she'd even learned Origami. It was pathetic. Had her patience not slowly been wearing down with each passing day, she may have learned to play an instrument. But, as it was, she had the attention span of a rock. All she could focus on was getting out.

Leah immediately felt Seth's presence, and heard the loud goodbye her mother shouted up the stairs. She didn't bother responding. For a moment she thought that Seth would just take her scent as enough to know she was there, but of course, she wasn't that lucky.

"Leah!" He bellowed through the door, following with loud knocks. "Unlock the door!"

Leah huffed and moved to the door, slinging it open. "What?"

He smiled. "What's for dinner?"

Leah halted the snide remark that immediately tried to escape her, and gave him her best smile. "Me and mom made a turkey today."

Seth's eyes exploded. Turkey was his absolute favorite. Before she could say anything else he turned and almost jumped the entire staircase, and was already at the table when she reached the kitchen. Leah removed the turkey from the oven and cut him a huge piece, knowing it would probably be easier to just hand him the whole thing. She chunked some mashed potatoes on what was left of his plate and placed four dinner rolls strategically around the edges, then proceeded to cover the entire meal with gravy. _There_- she thought - _exactly the way he likes it_.

While placing the plate in front of him, she couldn't help the bubble of excitement, maybe hope, that filled her stomach.

"You're not hungry?" He asked through a mouthful of food.

She smiles. "I already ate."

Seth nods and continues on his mission. Leah sits patiently, watching him as he gets up and makes another plate. By his third, he was slowing, but she knew he was far from done.

"You sure you're not hungry?" He asks again, his intentions becoming clear.

"You can have it all, Seth. Me and mom already had ours."

She wasn't even finished speaking before Seth was up and back at the stove, fixing himself another extremely large helping of food. She watched him for several minutes as he repeated the process, piling his plate high, then quickly cleaning it. She couldn't help but laugh at his desperation, they both knew that he was the only one there, nobody was going to take it from him. But he continued on acting like a starving animal. Like he always did. Not so long ago this little act of kindness may have been considered odd between Leah and her little brother, but ever since he'd become her unofficial warden, she had taken to being a little nicer. She may have hated being stuck in the house, but he and Sue's outside activities were limited because of her too, it was only fair to try and be pleasant around him. _Try_ - being the key word.

"Man… that was amazing." Seth breathed, holding his now bloated stomach. "Thank you so much, Leah."

"No problem.." She tossed his plate in the sink. "You wanna watch a movie?"

Seth nodded and the two shut off all the lights and settled comfortably into their respectable couches. The opening scene for Pineapple Express came on and Seth was immediately zoned. Neither spoke for the first twenty minutes, and Leah noticed as soon as Seth started dozing off. She smiled and turned her attention back to the screen, only being pulled from her favorite movie when Seth's light snores filled the room. She waited about twenty more minutes before getting up and slowly tiptoed over to her sleeping brother. She had to be sure he was really asleep. She shook him, nothing. She tried again, a little harder, nothing. Leah grinned and stuck her index finger in his nose. He startled her with a loud snort, and she quickly jumped back. She watched him carefully as he turned and dug himself further into the cushions of the couch, his snores becoming louder and more distinct. She sighed, relieved.

She left the movie playing and crept her way through the kitchen to the back door. Her hand hovered over the doorknob for a moment, a little unsure of her timing. She knew that he'd eaten more than enough to fill him up, probably more. The movie only had about fifteen more minutes so it'd had about an hour or so to settle….yeah… the ITIS was surely set. He'd be out for a good three or four hours before he even moved again. Her little brother was more than predictable. She did this to him all the time. But she'd never left before tonight. After debating for a few seconds, she cut her losses and eased her way out the back door. As soon as she was outside every ounce of doubt was gone. She sucked in a deep breath of the amazingly fresh air, and took off through the backyard into the safety of the forest. She ruled out phasing, someone would be out and she refused to get caught after finally escaping unnoticed. She felt like a prison escapee, like she could actually get into some sort of trouble for being outside. Aside from her mother's 'maternal instincts', she really had no reason to believe that anything would happen.

So, Leah decided to rid her mind of anything and everything that could possibly stress her, and began her walk to nowhere specific. She was determined to enjoy her time outside while she had the chance, once Seth woke up, it was back to normal. Maybe she could make this a once a week thing every other month. If all went well, she'd have no reason not to. She was a firm believer in the phrase, "what they don't know, wont hurt them", and at this point it suited her perfectly. Although the last year had been somewhat of a downhill spiral when it came to her fucked up cycle, it had been a year of healing in most other areas. She'd somehow found a way, with the help of a few choice friends, to rid herself of a good amount of all the negative and hateful feelings she had towards Emily. Sam was still a sore subject, and in many ways, she still felt as if he betrayed her, but she was slowly easing her way into a neutral space when it came to her ex. She felt as if a lot of the bitterness she'd once maintained had left her, and although she was nowhere close to who she was before, she was honestly content with herself. She liked being strong, being trusted by those around her to protect their families and people. Jacob treated her as an equal in his pack, had even made her his beta, and for that she'd be eternally grateful.

The others, Embry, Quil and Seth all looked at her so much differently than they had in Sam's pack. She held a place of authority, and they listened to her. When it came to pack related things anyway. When it came to everyday, they were still as clueless as ever. And for the most part, they all still couldn't stand each other, for different reasons, but everyone was slowly piecing everything together. All in all, aside from her bi-monthly cycle, Leah was alright. A feeling she hadn't been familiar with in quite some time.

When she reached a break in the trees, she decided to burn off some of her excess energy, and upped her brisk walk, to a steady run. She blew past the trees and brush with ease, her senses making it more than easy to see and feel things before she was even close to them. This was where she felt she was supposed to be, out here is where she was most comfortable. She could have stayed out here forever at that exact pace, her heart pounding, her breaths sharp and deep. It was exhilarating, and the most at ease feeling in the world to her. She wished she could phase, her wolf able to carry her to places her human body was incapable of reaching. But, at this point, she'd take what she could get.

After making good distance, Leah stopped inside of a small clearing to catch her breath, flopping down to the ground carelessly. She rolled to her back and stared up at the sky, the stars and moon gracing her with their illuminating presence. She reveled in the feel of the soft blades of grass surrounding her, the cool touch of night carried over her by the light breeze. The air was so fresh, so clean and untainted. It was almost a type of paradise for her, and she couldn't even fathom leaving. Seth would be asleep for a few more hours, why not enjoy this peace while it was present? She nodded to herself and closed her eyes, her body relaxing completely into the earth, her skin sinking into the shallow dirt beneath her. Her hair was sprawled around her, creating a blanket of black silk surrounding her head and shoulders. She felt herself slowly drifting, nothing but calm enveloping her. It was perfect.

Her peaceful silence was suddenly broken. Leah could feel the soft vibrations pulsing through the ground, someone's pace quickening and heading towards her location. She immediately thought of Seth, and felt the growing knot in her stomach at the thought of having to explain to him how she'd planned her escape and deceitfully used his favorite dinner against him. The sound of four paws stopped a few yards away, still shielded by the trees, and the distinct sound of someone phasing rippled through the silent air. She jolted upright and turned her head slowly, anticipating Seth's reaction. The footsteps approached almost too slowly, the sound suddenly seeming too calm and heavy to be Seth. Leah had to hold back a breath of surprise as Paul slowly made his way out of the trees. She immediately jumped to her feet, not allowing any of her nerves to show in her body language. It was just Paul… right?

As he stepped further into the moonlight, Leah had to force herself not to take a step back. He was tense, his entire body flexed and hardened. His chest was jutted out, his nostrils flaring and wide. She watched him intently as he stalked forward, his naked frame seeming to only get more and more anxious with the closing distance. The look in his eyes unsettles her, the large black pools radiating under his stony brow.

"Paul!" She half yells, allowing herself to take a few steps back.

He sucks in a breath and nods shortly, a lustful grin spreading across his features. "Hey, Leah."

Leah, now annoyed with Paul's interruption of the only peace she's had in days, rolls her eyes and sighs. It would be Paul to ruin the only good thing that's happened recently. She finally manages to make a run for it, successfully at that, and he has to ruin it. She wanted to slap that stupid, cocky smirk off his face. But, knowing he would most defiantly fight back, and knowing she'd be unable to explain the marks to Seth, she tosses her head up in a farewell and turns to leave. She can hear him growl behind her, but ignores it. Once she hit the trees she'd phase and take off, she could outrun any of them if it came to that… right?

No sooner than she'd taken her eyes off of Paul, was she faced with another startling sight. Leah nearly yelped when she turned and spotted Jacob's large russet figure stalking around behind the shade of the large trees, his eyes mirroring Paul's. Dark, desperate almost. He phased to his human form, like Paul, standing completely naked before her. He slowly emerged from the dark wood line and immediately locked eyes with her. She didn't say anything, or move. She couldn't. He had the same demeanor as their other fellow werewolf, tense, hard. Leah watched him as he moved closer, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Leah." He breathed out huskily, his deep voice almost rumbling through the small clearing.

It was then she noticed him sniffing the air, his eyes moving from her, to the man standing behind her. "Paul.." He growled out, a clear warning in his voice.

She glanced over her shoulder, able to watch as Paul squared his shoulders defiantly, shaking his head at the alpha before him. Paul looked between Jacob and Leah, silently letting Jacob, and Leah, know that he wasn't going anywhere. Jacob's loud growls ripped through his chest, anger and frustration lining them heavily. Leah looked in between them, both of them growing more and more impatient with the situation. She suddenly felt insanely regretful for ever leaving the house. Maybe Sue was right… well… Sue _was_ right. The two of them were overflowing with lust and desire, neither of them willing to turn the other way. Jacob's hand yanked her from her thoughts, his warm, calloused fingers tracing a line down her arm to her hand.

"If you want to run, do it now." He said, the same warning he'd given Paul clear in his tone.

Ten seconds ago, she would have jumped on the opportunity. But now, all she could think, feel….or even _breathe_ was his hand on her. His heat was pulsating off of him, his scent invading each and every once of her senses, his breath washing over her and sucking her into this strange process. She closed her eyes momentarily, barely noticing that he'd pushed her behind him until his hand was gone. Leah's eyes shot open at the loss of contact and she watched as he moved himself into the direct line between her and Paul.

"Go." He said firmly, his attention placed solely on the other wolf.

Leah shook her head at his back and moved closer to him, pressing her front into him softly, hoping to gain his attention. She wasn't sure why she wanted it, a few minutes ago she was willing and ready to run, but he was right there… and so warm… she could feel his muscles constricting under her, his body reacting harshly to her touch. She welcomed the reaction, and wanted desperately to push for more, but Paul's loud and frustrated growls pulled Jacob's attention back to him.

"Paul.." Jacob bit out. "Just leave."

Jacob's voice was strong, and full of a mixture of so many different emotions. She looked between the two, noticing instantly when their bodies arched forward and began to shake. She didn't want anyone to get hurt over her, maybe even killed. Paul didn't stand a chance, all three of them knew it. But everything in him was telling him to fight for her, to make her his, so he was going to try. Even if that meant taking on an alpha. Jacob sensed Paul's advance and was more than ready to retaliate, but Leah wasn't having it.

She stepped forward and placed a hand on Jacob's chest, holding her other out, halting Paul. "That's enough! Both of you, stop it."

Jacob moved closer to her, everything about her drawing him in. She felt herself easing into him as he lightly grazes her hip with his fingers, their actions forcing Paul forward, his chest now pressed against Leah's other hand. Their heat was driving her mad, both of their scents pushing her body into overdrive. Paul's presence pulls Jacob closer, he pulls her to him by her elbow, erupting another series of growls from Paul who, in turn, pushes himself into her back. Leah finds herself, literally, sandwiched between the two. Both of their, what she now notices to be hard ons, pressed firmly to the front and backs of her thighs. The feeling does nothing for her thought process as she finds herself losing touch with what's going on, and falling victim to her own lust. Their growls bring her back quickly, and as she looks down upon the three of their bodies, an idea strikes her. She knew what they were both there for, and she knew that neither were going to just let her walk away, not now that they've been so close. Jacob had given her that opportunity, and she'd royally fucked herself over on that one. She looked up at Jacob and caught his eyes darting back and forth between her and Paul, obviously debating on what to do.

It may not have been a full proof plan, and it could easily have blown up in her face, but it seemed logical enough. A win-win-win…

She slowly slides her hands up Jacob's torso, taking feel and complete appreciation for his defined abs and chiseled pecks, finally wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her body into his. She can feel his heart begin to race as she brings her lips to his, kissing him softly, nibbling at his bottom lip. He leans into the kiss, forgetting all about Paul, her mere touch sending his mind reeling into a state of unresponsiveness. Paul growls and grabs her arm, pulling her away from Jacob and into him. She grins, amused with how easy they were making it. She halted Jacob before he could react with her hand back in his chest, and slowly presses her lips to Paul's. He reacts more impatiently, trying desperately to deepen the kiss, but Leah holds him steady, breaking the kiss and turning to Jacob with a confident smirk. He catches on and immediately shakes his head, his body beginning to shake at the mere thought of what she was suggesting. Jacob pulls her away and shoves Paul roughly, a look of pure shock gracing his face when Leah growls her objection.

"Look, this is how we all get what we want." She says calmly. "Nobody gets hurt, everyone is satisfied."

Paul folds his arms, giving her his silent approval, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. Jacob continues to shake his head, his grip on her arm only tightening. Leah, who is beginning to realize how much control she really has over them, turns to face Jacob. She slowly traces the defined lines of his abs, making her way up and in between his Pecs, then wraps her arms around his neck, pressing herself into him.

He growls lowly and nuzzles her neck, gripping her hips. "I'm not sharing you with _him…._or anyone else."

Leah has to fight to maintain control of herself, his hot breath on her neck melting her resolve. "Just once…" She whispers. "…and then I'm yours."

His chest rumbles heavily. "I'll make sure of that."

She closes her eyes as he speaks, feeling herself falling into him at an alarming rate. She should be objecting, running even, but she cant pull herself away. Instead, she runs her fingers roughly through his hair, pulling his face up to meet hers, their noses touching briefly before she pulls his lips down to hers. Leah breaks the kiss and nods to Paul the okay to move in. He does so, slowly, pressing his erection softly into her thighs, then her ass, eager to see how she'll react. Leah moans quietly, rolling her hips into him, accepting his advances. He grins widely, gripping her hips and pulling her closer to him. He begins placing kisses up her back, ghosting his hands up to her shoulders.

Leah opens her mouth and grants Jacob access, his tongue clashing with hers, both fighting for dominance. His hands move up her back, Paul's following under his to massage her hips and sides. Their dicks only seem to grow more impatient with all the contact, both of them prodding her from front and back, their presence keeping her attention. Leah breaks the kiss with Jacob, gasping for air as he moves to the other side of her neck, sucking and nibbling at her skin. Jacob moves his hands to the hem of her shirt, slipping them under and rubbing his way up her stomach. Paul guides Leah's face to his, capturing her lips in a rough kiss, growling loudly as she bites and sucks on his lower lip. He pulls back slightly, allowing Jacob room to pull her shirt over her head, breaking their contact for a moment. Paul brushes Leah's hair to the side as he blazes a trail of hot, open mouthed kisses from her neck, to her shoulder, down to her shoulder blade. He continues to kiss down Leah's spine, as his fingers slip into the waistband of her shorts, gripping them tightly and tugging, he pulls her ass closer to him.

Jacob, after having removed Leah's shirt, leans back in, burying his nose in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. Her scent is simply intoxicating, it's presence over the last year being pure torture every time he'd pass her house during a cycle, knowing he was unable to touch her. His hand reaches up, cupping her breast, and he begins kneading it, pinching her nipple as he leans forward and takes the other in his mouth. Leah moans heavily, feeling Jacob's mouth on her breast and Paul's hot tongue licking the base of her spine, keeping the tight grip on her shorts. Bringing his other hand up, Paul slowly pulls the shorts down, sucking and nibbling her hips. All of the sensations from the two men's hands and mouths only make her wetter, her temperature seeming to rise a few degrees. She feels her shorts drop around her ankles and gracefully steps out of them, keeping her close position with both wolves.

"Jake.." She moans softly as he releases her nipple and blows on the hardened nub.

"You smell so good.." Paul growls out behind her as he kneads her ass, placing hot kisses along her cheeks.

Spreading her cheeks, Paul eyes her puckered asshole greedily.

"Paul.." Leah gasps as she feels tongue run across her asshole, and begins circling it. He drags one of his hands roughly down her cheeks, he rubs his finger across her wet pussy.

"So wet too, you've needed this for a while, haven't you?" Paul asks as he presses his thumb to her tight hole, and slides two fingers inside of her.

Leah moans loudly as Jacob kisses down her stomach, a hand still massaging and kneading one breast while the other squeezes and massages her thigh. She continues to moan as Paul moves his fingers in and out of her and she watches Jacob's mouth move further and further down, making his way in between her legs. She gasps when she feels his finger rake over her clit, kissing inside of her thighs painfully slow. He trails the kisses up until he reaches her hot lips, slowly dragging his tongue around them. She feels him move his hand up her thigh, he slides two fingers in along with Paul's, both men stopping with the contact. Jacob growls roughly, shifting his glance to the other male. Paul thinks better of fighting it, completely content with this compromise, and begins to back away. Leah tugs on his arm, urging him to stay, looking to Jacob for the okay. Her alpha continues to ruble lowly, but turns his attention back to her. Leah's scent and how close he was proving to be more than enough to keep him distracted.

The two curl their fingers in opposite directions inside of her, slowly removing and reentering, before setting a steady pace. Jacob begins licking and sucking on her clit, both sensations sending her into a blissful fit. Feeling her hips and legs trembling, Jacob pulls one of her legs up and throws it over his shoulder, giving both men easier access, and relieving some of her weight. They both feel when she's reaching her limit, her hips and thighs shaking, bucking. Her loud moans and yelps fill the air, her voice all either of them can hear. Everything else is dead to them at the moment. Her skin, her touch, her smell; it draws them in, and refuses to release. Both can feel their own lust growing, their cocks swelling with her eager movements, the slick feel of her juices on the inside of her thighs and lips. She closes her eyes and grasps at Jacob's hair for support, her other hand dragging her fingernails roughly into Paul's shoulder. Why had she thought this was a mistake?

As soon as she cums, her orgasm still barely over, Jacob removes his fingers and pulls her to the ground on top of him. He feels his patience wearing thin, his need to take her rising above any and all other thoughts. Jacob cups her face, tracing his fingers into her hair as she catches her breath, his eyes sucking her in. She melts with the contact, with the sudden feeling of sentiment his fingers brushing through her hair has brought. And his eyes. They were burning, scalding even, with desire and emotion. The black abyss changing from intimidating, to comforting within a matter of seconds. She was pulled from her trance feeling Paul's fingers tracing around her asshole, using her juices to lubricate. She suddenly felt anxious, almost nervous. Jacob eases his cock into her, allowing her time to adjust to his size, the sudden motion causing her to gasp. She rests her forearms on each side of his head, placing their faces only an inch or two apart. He stares at her and waits for Paul's next move.

He takes Jacob's hesitation as his cue to go, and slowly eases one finger into her tight hole. She pinches her eyes closed, awaiting the next, and whimpers slightly when she feels it. Paul moves his fingers slowly, stretching it as he pushes deeper, testing how difficult it was going to be. She stays completely still, as does Jacob, until Paul nods for him to continue. All rational thought leaves him as he begins rocking in and out of her, her soft moans only feeding his anticipation. She slides her arms to press against his head and traces her fingers tightly into his hair, her body quickly reacting to the motions. She could feel another orgasm building, each thrust becoming harder, every movement becoming rougher. He gripped her hips and began pushing them to meet him, ignoring Paul's fingers still working to stretch her enough for entry. Paul began moving his fingers in and out of her ass, meeting Jacob's pace to keep her focus away from it. Deciding to test how close he was, he pushed a third finger in with the next thrust, immediately catching her attention. She cries out and tries to halt all movement.

"This is what you wanted, remember?" Jacob whispers, bringing her face down to his.

He kisses her softly, rolling his hips into her, his cock still planted firmly inside of her. She breathes into his mouth as he begins slowly moving in and out of her, watching her face as it scrunches with pleasure. He grins, and moves a little faster, enjoying the reaction he is receiving. She sits up slightly and begins meeting his pace, matching him trust for thrust. Paul keeps all three fingers in place, waiting until she and Jacob have set another steady beat before beginning to move with it. She responds to the mix of pain and pleasure, riding Jacob a little faster, pressing down a little harder. When he's sure she's adjusted, Paul removes them quickly and replaces them with his dick, able to slip in without disrupting their pace.

With Paul added, Leah is sent reeling. She releases the most delicious sounding scream either have heard as they both begin pumping in and out relentlessly, all tenderness forgotten. Her body is wracked with nothing but heat, all three of them slicked with sweat. Jacob and Paul's grunts begin playing with her own pleasure filled moans and screams, the clearing now filled with the sounds of their bodies and heavy panting. She feels her stomach tightening, burning, urging her release as they continue. Jacob sits up and she wraps her arms around him, relieved at the support he was offering. She nuzzles his neck and begins sucking and nipping along his jaw line, meeting his lips with a body numbing kiss, both of them barely able to focus on whose tongue was winning, and whose was being dominated. Neither could really care. Paul tugged on her hair, pulling her back to his chest as he kisses along the back of her neck, exposing her breasts to Jacob. He dips his head between them and catches a nipple in his mouth, sucking roughly as his hands grip her hips tightly.

"Ja-c-ob…" She breathes, her voice jolted by the rough motions of both men.

Jacob doesn't bother to acknowledge the low growl that escapes Paul when she says his name, he only pulls her back to his chest and listens to her ragged breaths and involuntary moans as she pushes towards her second release. He can feel her edging forward, her muscles spasm, her eyes roll to the back of her head. She digs her nails into his back and pulls, desperately grasping for some relief from the intense and almost painful delectation she was experiencing. She received none. They push her over once more, her screams fill their ears, a gush of wet slicking them as they close in on their own releases. Paul's motions break frantic, his hands grasping her sides with bruising force as he follows her and topples over, filling her ass to the brim with his warm cum. She stays hooked around Jacob's neck as he draws near, Paul's exit leaving her more relaxed. She hears him fall to the ground with a thud and a grunt, his breathing still loud enough to hear over Jacob's pants and growls. Leah feels her body restarting, another orgasm beginning to build as Jacob's pace quickens, his motions becoming more desperate, his hold on her becoming almost painful. He presses his forehead into hers and they make eye contact. His hands move from her waist to her face, holding her face in place as he inches closer.

As he brushes her cheeks lightly with his fingers, she can feel the immense effect the small tender act as on her body, her hips buckling immediately. His hands move behind her head and he fists two handfuls of her sweat soaked hair, pulling her face immeasurably closer to his. Watching him as he reaches his breaking point only seems to knock her far beyond hers. His face tightens, his brows furrow…

"Fuck, Leah." He groans, moving faster, harder. "Cum with me…. I need you to cum with me.."

He's in her ear now, panting and breathing his words out huskily. "You feel so fucking good…"

She closes her eyes, now gasping for air. "Harder," she pleads, "ha-r-er-der.."

He grins and obeys, feeling her body responding just the way he'd hoped. As soon as he feels her let go, as soon as she's soaked his dick with another wave of hot, sweet orgasm, he's through. He pulls her down onto him one last time and drives ball deep, his seed shot deep inside of her. He holds her there for a moment, hoping to regain his breath. He's not finished with her. But as soon as his back hits the ground he knows he's not getting up. Leah nuzzles herself deep into his chest and side, allowing herself to be completely surrounded by him. He peeks over to Paul who has already passed out a few inches away from her, his soft snores echoing in the now silent clearing. She continues to breathe heavily but her eyes close, her body still trembling from the dramatically pleasurable assault. Never in her life had she thought an experience like that possible. Something so stimulating and absolutely amazing. She could still feel the tingle riding through her body. Jacob's body pressed to hers doing nothing to ease it. At that moment, she honestly could care less how long her heat cycle lasted. As long as it involved something resembling the night she'd just had.

All thoughts of Seth and or Sue had been forgotten. She was lost in Jacob. In his scent and body. His arms that now closed around her. His mouth that was peppering kisses along her forehead and in her hair. His fingers that were tracing clam circles in the small of her back. His breath that covered her face and neck. His warmth that covered every inch of her body. Jesus Christ, where had he been over during the last year? Where had any of them been? Although her head was swimming with thoughts, she didn't last much longer. Jacob felt her slowly slipping, her body easing further into him, her breath calming and setting into a slow and steady rhythm. As he felt her finally doze, he immediately followed. The only thing on his mind when he fell asleep was her, and what he planned on doing with her next.

* * *

**a/n. Ahhh… the beginning of another. At least this one is all fun. =) Lemons, lemons… and more lemons! Tee-Hee. I must give a GIGANTIC shout out to Kei Kat Jones. Without her, I would have gotten nowhere with this. You are my smutterific inspiration! =D I dub this your unofficial repayment for my birthday present. hehehe. This IS a multi chap fic, but I doubt it will go on for too long.**

**I needed something to get my mind off my other updates….. So I hope you enjoyed my distraction. Puh-llllleeeaaaseee let me know what you think. Reviews have become like a form of crack for me… don't send me into some sort of violent detox… please…I beg you. =)**


	2. Say My Name

**Heat Activated**

**By: Cucumber07**

**Chapter 2- Say My Name.**

Leah shifted slightly, the feeling of another body pressed against her forcing her eyes open. Her first thought was who could possibly be in her room, but as her sight adjusted, her other senses came back into play and memories from a few hours before came rushing back in a blur. She slowly shifted her eyes to who she was sill twisted in to, Jacob's face and heated body reminding her of how she'd let the earlier events happen to begin with. As if something clicked within her she felt her entire body heat up at the sight of him, her naked frame trembling slightly when noticing his touch. She closed her eyes as she played what had happened out in her head a few times, her thighs pressing together slightly to ease some of the building pressure. She wanted him back inside of her. She wanted him all over her. She wanted to roll on top of him and wake him up, to slide herself on him and show him exactly how much she needed him. But, her sensible side was still somewhat in tact, and the little voice was screaming at her to get up and take a breather.

Leah slowly eased herself out from under his arms, smiling and hesitating when he made a slight grunt, a tiny part of her hoping that he'd wake up before she had the chance to leave. He readjusted himself and let out a heavy breath. He was tired. Hell, so was she. The only thing keeping her awake was that stupid little voice. It took everything she had not to slide back into him and return to that safe haven that had allowed her the best few hours sleep she'd had in… she couldn't even remember how long. Against her will, Leah stood and turned, stepping over Paul as she made her way to the nearby stream she could hear from the clearing. A swim sounded perfect. It seemed so hot out. Her body could have been steaming if possible. She knew her temperature had far exceeded their normal, and felt her stomach jump at the thought of the undoubtedly freezing water. Without bothering to scrounge up her clothes, feeling no need for the material after the night before, Leah made her way through the trees to the rushing water. A smile graced her face as soon as she caught site of it, a relieved breath escaping her as she approached. She tip toed in until she was thigh deep, absolutely in love with what it was doing to her.

She was unsure when she'd lost handle on her ability to control her lust, but thinking back, the whole thing had been _her_ idea. She couldn't believe that even then, in the midst of some fucked up horny rage, Jacob had been able to offer her an out. Twice. What was even more disturbing, was that she'd refused. She remembered what his touch had done to her, how insane she'd felt when both of them had entered her. What caught her attention the most, was how completely wrapped up in Jacob she'd been. Even now, wading herself into this heavenly body of water, she couldn't stop thinking of him. What happened? She couldn't say that she and Jacob hated each other, but they didn't get along either. They did business together, pack stuff, but nothing more. What was this sudden attraction to him? Had her mother really been _that_ right about this whole heat thing? Was this really going to completely alter the way she and her pack mates interacted? Jacob wasn't one to shove things in your face or make fun, but fucking the way they had and - possibly would- would undoubtedly change the way they acted around each other. It was unavoidable. Leah released an exasperated breath, annoyed with herself for getting wrapped up in this whole heat situation. Maybe freedom hadn't been as worthy as she thought.

Jacob's face slowly crept it's way back to the forefront of her thoughts, his body and eyes creating something like a heat wave to pulse through her. It seemed ridiculous the way he was affecting her. She thought _she_ was the one that had the affect on _them_, not the other way around. Nobody had mentioned a reversed reaction. If they had, she'd have stayed away from them like they were carrying the plague. She couldn't say that she hadn't enjoyed every second of what had happened, it was mind blowing. But thinking of how harshly it was going to affect their everyday interaction was a tiny bit uncomfortable. Jacob was her alpha. She _had_ to be around him. Neither of them would be able to keep their thoughts to themselves, Seth and the other two idiots would get a visual play by play of what they'd done… and she'd never live it down. She laid back slightly, the water covering from foot to neck, and closed her eyes. She tried her best to ignore the footsteps approaching the water, and tried even harder to pretend she was oblivious to the body wading itself in towards her. Her attempts, of course, were futile when she felt a burning pair of hands grip her forearms and pull her up.

"Are you really going to try to pretend you're asleep?" Paul asked smugly, gripping her hips.

"I was _trying _to relax…" She responds snidely, thankful that she was able to maintain her usual veneer through the burning haze she felt falling over her.

As if her movements and thoughts had taken on a mind of their own, she moves closer to him, feeling his muscles tense as she traces her lips up his neck to his jaw line. His smell is just as intoxicating to her, as hers is to him, and she finds herself again falling victim to her body's sudden urges. She feels him dip his head into the crook of her neck, his breath loud and heavy as he slowly traces his tongue across her earlobe, his low growl echoing in her head. When she closes her eyes she feels completely lost to reality, his mouth and hands the only things distinguishable through the fog she was swimming in.

"I can help you." He whispers huskily into her ear, running his hands up her stomach and cupping her breasts. "You wont have to do anything."

Leah shivers slightly, her legs suddenly feeling weak as he continues to breath and nibble on her ear. She knew he was waiting for her, that he wanted to hear her say it. Even as thoughts of Jacob continued to swim through her mind, she found herself unable to focus on anything but the man in front of her. He was so hot and close, her senses were going haywire with the continuous contact. Her body reacting to every move he made. Maybe it was instinct, maybe it was just genuine lust and lack of sexual contact over the past year and a half…- either way- she was quickly giving into what he was offering.

He kneads her breasts awaiting her answer, sucking roughly on her neck. She allows a small moan to escape, her parted lips and shortened breaths drawing him in all the more. She could feel him growing impatient, his hips beginning to nudge her, his hands beginning to tremble. Leah tries to speak but finds herself unable. She pulls herself away from him slightly, a tiny part of her wanting to walk away, to return to the clearing. The water fills the void his body left, the freezing liquid forcing another shiver to climb up her spine. She can see his face harden, annoyance and frustration pushing past anything else he was feeling. He stares at her, his eyes dark and primal, his muscles tensing. Paul licks his lips and takes a step forward, gripping her hips and pulling her back to him with a low growl. It felt so natural, like she was supposed to have already done all this but had been kept away. His lips hover above hers for a moment, his hands moving up her sides, the water and his fingers causing small bumps to appear all over her body.

He snakes his hands around and grips her ass, squeezing almost painfully before pressing his lips roughly to hers. As soon as she feels his tongue rub against hers, she knows there's no more fighting it. He feels her lean into him, and deepens the kiss, his movements becoming almost desperate. He wanted her to be his. He wanted to claim her, before Jacob or someone else did. He lifts her, still squeezing her ass cheeks tightly, and presses her pussy against his painfully hard dick, eager to finish this process. Leah grips his hips tightly between her legs, feeling his urgency, and wanting desperately to match it. He breaks the kiss, moving down her jaw to her neck biting and sucking his way to her collar bone. Leah cant help but feel the hurry Paul seems to be in, but pushes him forward all the same. He can smell her now, even through the water, and it's driving him mad. He feels his dick twitch as another wave of her amazingly delicious scent flows up in between them, he's tired of waiting.

"Fuck, Leah… you smell so fucking good.." He groans out, moving his face in between her breasts and licking the skin in between.

She grinds up and down his shaft, the friction his head on her clit creates forcing a loud moan. She continues the movements, reveling in the duel sensations sparking from his teeth on her nipples and his dick now moving quickly across her clit.

She leans forward and runs her tongue up and down his ear. "Paul.." She grits out, "…I want you to fuck me."

She could hear herself speaking but in no way meant to say what actually came out. She felt almost out of character, out of body. The only thing keeping her from the thought that she may be dreaming was the absolute desperation she felt to have him inside her.

He grins and nods, running his tongue across her bottom lip. "You want me to fuck you?" She nods. "Say my name." He says curtly, his grin broadening.

Leah feels a small tug when he requests it, noting the very usual-Paul-like-behavior flaring from underneath all the fucked up urges they were both feeling. "Paul." She says simply, pushing her hips into him.

He shakes his head. "Nope…" She gasps as he slips his hand in between them and slides a single finger into her. "Say it like you mean it."

He wiggles his finger slightly, urging her on. "… Paul.." She breathes, moving her hips eagerly against his finger, now submerged to the knuckle inside of her.

Paul groans with anticipation feeling how warm she is, the water making her feel like she's a thousand degrees. He slowly inserts a second finger, pushing them both in and pulling them out a few times before stopping inside of her, making small circles before stopping.

"I cant hear you.." He growled into her chest, circling her nipple with his tongue.

"PAUL!" She yells, beginning to get frustrated.

He ignores her, taking a third finger and pushing it inside of her roughly to join the other two, pumping all three in and out quickly. When her moans become louder and more frequent, Paul pulls his fingers out and grips her hips, pulling her down onto him suddenly. His cock enters her and she feels as if she could explode right in that moment, the built tension having her body more than ready for whatever Paul could dish. And dish he did.

She gasped and begged for air as he began thrusting himself in and out roughly, fisting a handful of her hair and yanking her face to his. She didn't bother to flinch when his mouth smashed into hers, she didn't have it in her to care. She could feel every inch of him sliding in, and every inch sliding out, the sensations the thoughts and movements created only matched by their rendezvous the night before. She couldn't help the loud yelps escaping every time he connected, his movements only seeming to become more forceful and desperate. He gripped her hair tightly, his grunts and heavy breaths filling her senses. Paul dropped her to her feet and before she could protest, gripped her shoulders and turned her around, bending her over.

She shivered as her hot chest hit the water, the front of her body missing his warmth once introduced to the freezing cold stream. "Spread em'." He orders, urging her legs apart with his knees.

Leah complies and feels one of his arms slip under her stomach, pulling her to him. "Fuck!" She yells when he enters her a second time, no longer in the mood to play games. She felt her legs begin to tingle as he returned to his quick pace, the sound of their bodies slapping and the water being drug along with them filling the air around them. She couldn't hear anything but his loud groans and her own, now stifled, screams. The closer she got the harder it was to stay focused, her legs and hips were slowly giving out, her lower body wracked with an unexplainable amount of pleasure. She could hear him beginning to growl as he pulled her up to him, keeping his pace. He took her breasts in his hands and pinched her nipples roughly, placing wet kisses up and down her neck, stopping every so often to suck on her ear. She felt her release coming and reached around to grip whatever she could. Her cries turned to half screams as he pumps faster, sensing her approaching orgasm and positions his mouth over her pulse point.

Leah's legs give way and her hips buckle violently, almost embarrassingly so, and her nails break skin as she digs them into his sides for some sort of relief that she was unable to receive. She cums, insanely hard, her wet juices soaking his dick and entrance, heightening the sensation for him. As she rides out the remnants of the God given moment, she feels Paul's teeth grazing her neck, the pressure building with every pump. She moves her head away, erupting an almost angry series of growls from him, his thrusts becoming slow and hard. She reaches around and grabs a handful of his hair, pulling his head to her shoulder and away from her neck. Before he can protest she shoves her hips back and takes in his entire length, slowly rolling her hips. He stays still and allows her to continue for a moment before she feels his hands reach around and grip her thighs, holding tightly while she unintentionally brings him to his breaking point. She feels his cock tighten inside of her and feels his body begin to quiver before he releases his load deep into her core. He instinctually pumps one or two more times, reveling in the feel of her before he pulls out, both of them stumbling to find balance.

Leah sinks down into the water, cooling her suddenly overheated body, watching Paul carefully as he tries to catch his breath. She pinches her eyes shut as she runs her hands along the small indentions his fingers made in her thighs, sighing as her right mind slowly came back into play. Had she not been so ridiculously in love with how her body was feeling, she may have taken off right then, ditching any possibility of another crazy fuck with one of the two present wolves. She shakes her head as the idea starts to seem more and more appealing, and slowly eases herself to the shore, stretching her now cramped muscles.

"Why'd you stop me?" Paul asks suddenly, his voice deep.

Leah turned and glared at him, his body still in the exact spot she'd left him. "what are you talking about?"

Paul opened his mouth to answer but quickly snapped it shut when the two of them heard heavy footsteps approaching. Leah knew who it was, it didn't take a rocket scientist, there was only three of them out there. And his scent seemed to reach her from a mile a way, igniting her body all over again. The closer he got, the more excited she became, her body reacting in an almost ridiculous way. She could feel herself moistening quickly, the thought of him sending her to some wild, fucked up place where it seemed that fucking him was the only thing she wanted to do.

Paul began moving to the shore, his chest jutting out and his muscles tightening. She noticed him coming towards her and immediately wanted to object. She stood up and held her hand out, signaling him to stop, earning a low growl.

"Come here." He said firmly. "Come with me."

She shook her head defiantly. "No, I don't want to."

She felt like she'd been sucked into some sort of alternate universe. These men she was around every day becoming so much more powerful and domineering than she'd ever seen them before. They had a hold on her, all of them she was sure, lured her in and expected her to choose them over the rest of their pack mates. In reality, she didn't want to choose any of them to _mate_ with. On a regular day, she would have vomited just _thinking_ of sleeping with any of them. They were obnoxious and stupid. Childish and annoying. She would have never even thought of giving any of them a chance. But now, here in the middle of the woods, she knew exactly who she wanted. It hit her like some sort of epiphany. It was never a contest. It was just her human side meshing with her wolf, trying to keep the peace and avoid anyone being hurt. Of course, she figured her own desires and pent up sexual frustration played a large role, but overall it was never really a competition. Jacob had her from square one. As soon as he made eye contact, she was sold. She just still had enough of her right mind to know that, had she denied Paul a few hours before, they would have surely ripped each other to shreds.

She closed her eyes when she heard him behind her, walking slowly, directly to her. His low growls vibrating through his chest were barely audible, but were present enough to force a shiver up her spine. She felt his fingers trace around the small of her back, around her sides, meeting at her belly button. His nose grazing across her shoulder, making it's way to her neck where he planted a single kiss before pulling away.

"Are you ready for him to leave?" He asked in a much more serious tone.

She turned and nodded slowly, unsure of what Paul's absence would mean for her and Jacob. Even with her answer Paul immediately protested.

"I'm not going anywhere!" He growled, moving so that he was completely out of the water. He squared his shoulders and looked only to Jacob, anger pouring off of him.

"Last night was a one time thing, she's made her choice, now leave." Jacob boomed, leaving Leah almost positive that she felt his voice in the ground beneath her.

Paul shook his head roughly. "No sh-"

"You had your chance, just now, and she denied you. That's the end of it."

The threat in Jacob's statement unsettled her. She was able to hear the readiness to attack perfectly in his voice as he spoke, nothing about fighting Paul seeming wrong to him at the moment. Leah caught Paul's eye for a brief moment and nodded her head, hoping that he'd take what he'd gotten and just let it be. She wanted to see what Jacob had in store for her, not watch a disgusting wolf brawl break out in front of her.

Jacob, unsatisfied with how slow things were moving, took Leah by the hand and pulled her to him. She immediately relaxed under him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest. Paul phased, his gray wolf standing directly in front of the two. Leah looked to Jacob only to find him completely calm, he knew Paul had given up. He was simply saying goodbye in his own arrogant, hot headed way. She watched him take off into the trees and released the hold she had on her alpha, suddenly curious about what happens next. Looking up into his eyes, recognizing the lust that blanketed his entire face, she could take a pretty good guess that it'd be something both of them would thoroughly enjoy.

* * *

**a/n. right, so I thought about making the little confrontation between Jacob and Paul a bigger part, but decided against it. Next chapter maaaay be a little fluffy. -possibly-… okay PROBABLY. But it will still contain a lemon or two. One at the least..That should make up for it, right? =) Thanks for all the reviews and everyone that has alerted or favorited. You guys are great. Hehe. Anyway, hope you enjoyed.**

**IASWAP _will _be updated before I go on vacation Monday. I'm almost finished with ch. 33... I'm so so sorry for the delay. I was horridly stuck on how I wanted to do that chapter. **

**Leave me reviews people. You are my inspiration after all. =) We wouldn't want me going into one of those violent detoxs I mentioned before. Lol. **

**I of course have to give a giant shout out to Kei Kat Jones, Hilja and Sentinel10. You guys are my smut-tastic lovers. Lmao. **


	3. I'm Yours

**Heat Activated**

**By: Cucumber07**

**Chapter 3- I'm Yours**

_I've got a tight grip on reality,_

_But I cant…_

_Let go of what's in front of me here_

_I know you're leaving in the morning _

_When you wake up_

_Leave me with some kind of proof_

_It's not a dream._

Her stomach twisted violently, her leg muscles and hips quickly beginning to spasm and twitch. Everything around her stopped as he continued to pound relentlessly into her from behind. Her knees scraped the dirt with every thrust, her hands desperately grasping at the ground for some sort of support. Her short breaths turned into loud yelps the closer she got, his pace only seeming to quicken as her walls slowly constricted around him. He leans forward and grasps her breast, kneading and pinching it while using his other hand to massage her soaking wet clit. She cant see clearly, her mind is completely fogged. She begins sucking in short, ragged breaths as the sensations pulsing throughout her entire body begin to heighten. He slows slightly, forcing her hand up to hold him in place.

"Don't fucking stop… -please- .. don't stop."

She can hear the desperation in her voice, but is too close to care. He growls deeply but adheres to her request, gripping her hips again to hold her in place. He begins pulling her to him to match his thrusts, jolting her body with each rough movement. She's almost sure that she's going to die from the insane amount of pleasure she's receiving and the thought only pushes her further, bringing about another series of loud and painful sounding yelps.

"Ahhhh…- Fuck…" she yells loudly, bringing a hand back to grip one of his arms.

Her eyes pinch closed as she sucks in a loud breath, her orgasm crashing down on her with unbelievable force, seemingly lasting longer than any she's ever had in her life. He pushes into her a handful of times, allowing her to ride out every second of this glorious experience. She smiles, undoubtedly satisfied with the latest of his assaults. Her entire body is sore and she's sure walking will be out of the question after this, but again, she just _cant_ care. She hangs her head, her hair making a blanket around her face, as she tries to catch her breath. Feeling him stir, she tilts her face to look back at him, noticing the hard expression he's wearing. Before she can even speak, he pulls out of her and rolls her to her back, easing himself between her thighs.

He boxes her head in with his arms, leaning so that he's only a few inches from her face. His hot, sweat covered chest presses heavily down on hers, both of them completely soaked. Her hair is matted down to her forehead and temples, strands of it stuck to her cheeks and neck. He grins, brushing it all away and rubbing his face against hers. She closes her eyes and rests her hands on his chest, utterly intoxicated by his mere presence there with her. A low moan involuntarily escapes through her barely parted lips as he places soft, wet kisses across her jaw line and down her neck. He kisses her ear before nuzzling into the crook, his body relaxing around her. His cock was pressed gently to her entrance, teasing her pussy, still high from the last time, without even moving. She wraps her arms around him and hugs him tightly while his head stayed buried in her neck. She finds herself snuggling closer to him, rubbing her face roughly against the side of his as she awaits his next move.

Jacob inhales deeply, making a delectable sound as Leah's scent vacates every inch of his body and mind. She can hear him breathing her in; low, satisfied moans escaping him every time he did. A smile graces her as she listens to him, his fingers softly tracing into her hair as they lay there, neither the least bit uncomfortable. He kisses her neck, his lips lingering there as he slowly lifts himself. He looks down at her, taking in everything about her. He knows who she is. He knows where they are. He knows what they're doing. But she seems so different.

"You're so beautiful," he says without thinking, his calm expression remaining even so.

She cups his cheeks with her hands, her thumbs tracing slow, soft circles as she allows him to study her. His eyes inch down, noting the red blotches scattered over her shoulders and arms, most likely a result of the past few hours. He surveys her swollen breasts, both much more plump than usual. Again, more than likely due to their activities over the past day or so. He sits up and his hands follow his eyes as they travel down her stomach and sides to her hips; her thighs matching them and most everything else about her. She's glowing. A bright, bronze look about her has his mind spinning as to what the cause may be. He's never seen her while in heat, maybe this is a result?

-Could it be because she's his? She's finally been claimed?

He tilts his head to the side, watching as her face remains completely at ease. She's so relaxed, so comfortable. He wonders if she's in her right mind, if she realizes what's going on and if she has a choice or if she's like him; pulled, driven.

The thought brings about another bout of eagerness to take her, to be sure she's not going anywhere, that she remains his. He dips between her thighs and breathes in the arousal that so clearly remains. Placing both legs over each of his shoulders, he lies flat and begins kissing up the inside of her right thigh, her hand finding its way back into his hair. He closes his eyes when he feels her fingers treading through his cropped cut, massaging and rubbing his scalp softly. He licks his lips and places short, sweet kisses up the sides of her lips, stopping at the peak and kissing back down towards her entrance. When he reaches it, he languidly drags his tongue across it and up to her clit where he makes deliberate strokes up and down. He feels her hips and thighs flex, her hands beginning to grip his head a little tighter. Smiling, he sucks the soft, pink skin into his mouth and with the help of his tongue, both sucks and massages it with fluid motions. -You'd never know he hadn't done it before.

He hears her breathing pick up and those delicious moans begin to sound from her chest, her voice filled to the brim with indulgence and desire. As he releases and begins flicking the tip of his tongue across her now swollen clit, he feels her legs clamp down around his shoulders and neck, squeezing tighter with every movement he makes. Pulling back slightly, he feels his cock tighten uncomfortably at the sight of her unbelievably wet entrance. He debates for a moment, the sudden want to please her battling with his undying urge to fuck her senseless as many times as he possibly can. Her hands grip the sides of his face painlessly, tugging, silently asking him to greet her.

"Jake…," she breathes, "c'mere."

Unable to deny such a simple request, he retracts himself from her leg's hold and slowly slides himself up to her face. Her eyes are completely overtaken with what he's sure his face has been blanketed with from the moment he caught her scent the night before. Her hips begin slowly grinding against his cock that has been strategically placed just below her stifling entrance, the motions forcing his eyes closed. He sits there for a moment, drowning in the feel of her against him; her hands on his face, her pussy against his cock, her chest and stomach pressed tightly to his. His eyes snap open when she pushes him to the side, climbing on top of him and straddling him as his hands quickly find her repositioned breasts. He groans heavily as she lifts slightly, slipping her hand between them to place his head at her entrance. As soon as she removes her hand, she places both of them on his chest, steadying herself before slowly easing herself onto him. He growls unintentionally as the feel of her heated walls close around the entire length of him, his balls quickly being covered with her as she begins moving up and down.

He takes a tight hold on her waist as she begins rolling and grinding her hips, the motions more than enough to send him spiraling over the edge right then. But he doesn't. -He's not finished yet.

Jacob watches her face carefully; mesmerized at how perfect she looks there, on top of him, quietly moaning his name. Rationality begins to take back over the longer he sits there watching her, his right mind suddenly coming back into play. He thinks of how he actually feels about her, outside of everything that's been suddenly forced on them. It's why he was willing to let her leave, why he caved and let Paul stay, why he didn't want to just _fuck_ her; he cared about her. He'd told her a thousand times, and every time he does, she brushes it off as him being his usual 'flirty' self.

He's snapped back from his brief reverie as she removes her hands from his chest and begins coming down on him harder, faster, her face crumpling and twisting as his name comes much louder and more distinct from her lips. Jacob quickly lifts her and plants her back into the ground, maintaining their connection. He can see the confusion ripple across her features as he pins her hands above her head, slowly pushing himself inside of her completely.

He traces his lips across her cheek, twining his fingers into hers. "You're mine now," he breathes, nipping her ear gently.

She shivers, "I'm yours."

"Leah," he whispers into her ear, nuzzling the side of her head, "I'm yours."

Leah's chest swells, her body reacting to the words just as harshly as her mind. She's floored by how intimate it feels, by the emotions she can see clearly in everything he's doing. She closes her eyes as his lips meet hers, this kiss seeming much different than all the others. Through all the confusion she's suddenly plagued with, she cant help but revel in how perfect it feels, how _right_ she feels with him. His tongue slips into her mouth and sweetly traces across hers, the need for dominance seemingly forgotten. She responds immediately and as they're engaged in arguably the most amazing make-out session she's ever had the pleasure of coming across, she feels him carefully ease his cock out about halfway, sitting there for a moment before returning. Her hands grip his as he begins rocking in and out of her, his pace remaining slow and easy. She's now unsure of which she likes better; hard and fast, or soft and deliberate.

Her hands remain inside of his, but he's no longer holding them there. He lifts his head from her neck and immediately searches for her eyes, quickly catching hold of the large, hazel orbs he's grown so fond of over the past year. She stares back into his, completely captivated by what she sees behind them, and is suddenly falling victim to more than just this heat activated mess they've been sucked into. He maintains eye contact as he picks up his pace, her legs wrapping around his waist to grant better access. -And it does.

"You're mine," she says quietly as he presses his forehead to hers.

Jacob nods shortly as he plunges deeper, feeling her grip on his hands tighten and her legs strain around his waist. Neither look away as he shifts and starts pushing harder, her moans beginning to echo through the trees as she begins the decent to quite possibly her fifth or sixth orgasm of the evening. Her head tilts back and her body arches, the repetitive motions and rapidly growing emotions wearing thin on her resolve.

"Baby," he pants into her ear, sweat dripping from his brow, "cum for me."

Leah squeezes her eyes closed when she hears his voice, her cries and pleas for release heightening as she feels his body begin to tense underneath her.

"Jesus, Jake," she pants, his strokes becoming almost desperate.

"You're so god damned tight," he growls, "you feel _so_ fucking good… and you're mine…"

"I-I'm yours.." she grits out as he releases her hands and sits up, lifting her hips with him.

She gasps as he continues his assault, the different angle hitting spots she had forgotten even existed. "I'm all yours, Jake.. Just yours."

He feels his balls constrict every time she says it, his cock throbbing painfully as he thrusts into her wildly, desperate to fill her up until he's got nothing left. He drops back down to her, pushing her face aside with his head and burying his face in her neck.

"I'm gonna fuck you like this forever," he hums into her ear, "nobody else, just me. However you want, whenever you want, wherever you want. It's all yours, baby."

With the last few words, she's through. She feels herself completely melt into him, this orgasm even more intense then the last. At the height of the best thing she's ever felt, she feels his mouth position directly over her pulse point, his breath covering every inch surrounding it. She doesn't say a word, or object. Instead, she wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him closer, urging him into his own release. She feels his entire body flex, his grip on her hip and hair tightening painfully, and right before she feels him explode inside of her, she feels his teeth sink deep into her skin. She winces; from both the end of her own orgasm, and the end of this strange process.

She feels him release and softly lick away the warm streams of blood slowly making their way to her chest and shoulder. It doesn't hurt, but she cant help but wonder what it means. -Is it over?

Before she has a chance to ask, he lifts so that he's looking at her and kisses her forehead, brushing away the damp strands of hair surrounding her face. He can see the unasked question lingering behind her eyes; a question he has no clue how to answer. So, given how tired he was, and how tired he assumed she had to be; he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to her side. He pulled her close, hugging her as tightly as he could without hurting her, planting a few more sweet kisses along her head and through her hair.

"Get some rest," he whispers, "we can go home soon."

Leah throws her free arm over him and rests her head between his arm and chest, halting all resistance to sleep and feeling herself quickly fading. Her body is insanely sore, every inch of her throbbing; some from pain, some from pleasure. She peeks up at Jacob and grins. His eyes are closed, he seems so peaceful. She thinks of getting up and leaving, but looking at him, she's almost sure she couldn't if she tried. How things would work out when they got home was beyond her mind's comprehensibility at the moment, and she refused to even try. What all of this meant, how it would affect them; she'd deal with it when it came to that. Right now, he was all she could manage to care about, and it seemed to her that the feeling was much more than mutual. Whether it was still whatever was driving them before was still up for debate, but as of right now, they were alright.

* * *

Dirt flew from underneath his paws as Paul skidded to a stop in front of Billy Black's home. The lights were on and he could hear Sue and Seth inside, both sounding beyond worried. He'd already thought up a way to both ease their anxiety and keep what really happened from ever having to be revealed. He couldn't even imagine the looks on their faces when he told them that he and Jacob double teamed Sue's daughter, Seth's sister, and Billy's unofficial 'other child'. He loved that girl like his own daughter, and Paul was less that willing to take the fall for what just happened. The haze was gone, he didn't even care about her lingering scent. He didn't know why, and he didn't give a shit. He just wanted to straiten this all out so that he could go home and try to sleep off what just happened.

He phased just before the woods ended and crept up the back steps, tapping lightly at the glass on the door. He heard muffled whispering, then footsteps. He sucked in a breath and tried his best to act calm when the door opened revealing a very angry Seth Clearwater.

"What the fuck do you want?" Seth asked, keeping the door half closed. "And why are you naked?"

Paul sighed and shifted his weight, closing his eyes for a moment before taking the next step up. "I need to talk to you guys about something… about Leah actually."

Seth's eyes widened and Paul could hear the growls swarming beneath his chest, he didn't blame the kid. They'd spent the last year trying to keep this exact thing from happening.

"What did you do to my sister?" Seth yelled loudly, snatching Paul by the arm and pulling him inside. "… Well, where is she!"

Paul looked to Billy and Sue who both wore the most horrified expressions he'd ever seen. -This wasn't going well.

"It's not what you think, Seth," Paul appeased, holding his hands up. "I didn't… I mean.._ we_ didn't.."

"Spit it out Paul!"

Sue rose from her seat and moved in between Seth and Paul, a loud breath escaping her as she pondered over what he was about to tell them.

"Let's just calm down," she says softly. "Paul, go get some of Jacob's clothes then you can tell us what happened.

Paul nodded and moved cautiously past Seth, who hadn't taken his eyes off him since he'd yanked him in the door. When he disappeared around the corner, Seth immediately went for the door.

"Don't, Seth." Sue warned, still standing between the kitchen and living room. "Going after her wont help anything… especially if… let's just see what Paul has to say before we make any decisions."

Seth groaned but nodded, stomping back into the living room and taking a seat on the couch across from where Billy was sitting. It didn't take long for Paul to come creeping back down the steps, obviously uncomfortable. Honestly, he was a bit afraid. He didn't want anyone mad at him. He already felt bad enough about what happened, he didn't want Seth trying to rip his throat out.

"Alright, sweetie, what happened?"

Paul looked only to Sue as he prepared to tell his little lie, sitting down in the recliner and taking a serious interest in his hands.

"I was out patrolling, like usual, nothing seemed any different. I, uh, I caught this scent… it was… it was like a damn drug. Once I got it, I couldn't get away from it. It was like…." he shook his head, "never mind. Anyway, I followed it to a clearing. Leah was there. I started walking towards her and she tried to leave. It was so weird. I knew where I was, who I was, who _she_ was; but I couldn't stop."

Paul paused, gauging the reactions around him. The were already assuming the worst, their faces gave a clear view of what they were thinking.

"She turned for the woods and that's when I saw him…" he looked back to his hands. "Jacob showed up, obviously dealing the same way I was. He saw me and pushed her behind him. I tried to get past him, and for a minute I thought we were going to fight, but she stopped us. She got in between us and told us to quit…. Even then I tried to pull her away… it sort of turned into a tug of war… but he uh, he shoved me and ended up phasing…"

Seth's eyebrows furrowed when Paul stopped, his interest more than peaked as to what happened next. "And? What happened next? Where the hell is Leah now?"

"I don't know. He took her and… I left. I came back here. I didn't know what else to do. I didn't want to fight him and he made it pretty clear that he wasn't giving her up without one."

Seth stood up and kicked the table. "Dammit, Paul! We have no idea where she is or what's going on… I need to go-"

Sue stood up and held her hand out to Seth, motioning for him to sit down. She looked to Billy for a moment before moving over to the phone. Seth and Paul exchanged a brief look of confusion, neither understanding where the sudden calm was coming from.

"Mom.. We have to find her she's-"

"She's with Jacob now," Billy said quietly. "There's nothing to be done."

"I need everyone to come over… there's a lot we need to discuss before they come home.."

Sue spoke to Seth before dialing Sam's number and walking to the kitchen for some privacy. None of them were going to be comfortable with what happened, but they had to be warned. A lot of changes were about to take place, and Sam above everyone else needed to know about them and be prepared.

"Well, at least you guys don't have to baby sit her anymore, right?" Paul laughed humorlessly, earning hard glares from both Seth and Billy.

"I'll shut up now."

"That'd probably be for the best," Billy said wryly, rolling his chair over to the window.

He knew it was bound to happen eventually, but it had happened much sooner than even _he'd_ anticipated. All they could do now was wait.

* * *

**a/n. Finallyyyyy! Took me long enough, I know. This chapter had me stumped. I wasn't sure how to do the Leah/Jacob scene. But now, we're good. =)**

**I reallyyy hope you liked. Review for me peeps! Remember… crack, violent detox… let's not send me into one. It really hinders my writing capabilities.**

**Next chap should be out soon! ^-^**


	4. Back to Reality

**Heat Activated**

**By: Cucumber07.**

**Chapter 4- Back to Reality.**

_Reality is the name we give to our disappointments. _

The woods are dark, even now, early in the evening when the sun should still be shining fairly bright. There's a faint grey shining through the black clouds that are rolling across and covering the sky, the sun seeming to give feeble attempts at breaking through every so often. The wind is blowing harder now, the tree's abused branches yelling their protests as they're thrown and whipped against and into each other. As they lay there, curled into each other, the soft blades of grass surrounding them fall victim to the growing assault. A loud crack of thunder breaks through the silence that, until now, had only been broken, if not accompanied, by the wind's low howls. Lightening begins to light large, but brief, areas; sending the smaller animals running for cover as the bolts expand and quickly become more intimidating. The sky sounds as if it's growling, demanding something that cant be given, from someone who cant understand it. Small flowers and less stable trees are pulled from their homes in the ground and lifted completely, hurled to an unknown location, as gusts of wind begin creating miniature tornadoes and bursts of leaves to flow across the clearing they're still sleeping soundly in.

-Neither of them notice.

Jacob stirs slightly when he feels freezing droplets begin stinging his skin, his mind immediately wandering to _her _well being. He notices now, the blistering wind and dangerous looking storm that has already moved in on them. As if he had been in some sort of dream for the past few days, he feels himself waking up, and his instincts going into overdrive to find some sort of shelter from what now has his full attention. He pushes up on his elbow, watching as the trees bend and twist with the growing force pushing against them. Had he not been out in the middle of the woods, he may have found it quite magnificent. -But he was.

He leans down and kisses Leah's cheek, sliding his lips to her ear. "Lee," he breathes, "c'mon baby… you gotta get up."

Leah grumbles out some sort of gibberish, not even alert enough to open her eyes. He waits a few more seconds before nudging her softly and slipping his arm underneath her, bringing her upper body to a sitting position.

"Leah, seriously, come on," he says a little louder, the rain beginning to pour over them.

Her eyes remain closed but she wraps her arms around his neck, resting her cheek on his shoulder before her body completely slumps again. He has no trouble remembering what they'd been doing for the past few hours, well, days really; and had no doubt that she was tired beyond reason. -He knew he was. So, after a small internal debate; Jacob stretches his other arm under her legs and lifts her with ease, walking in the direction he knows will take them home. They aren't as far as he'd first thought, in fact, he can almost pinpoint their exact location. He'd been here a few times before while patrolling, noticing how beautiful it was, but never having any reason to visit it before now. -Maybe they can come back every so often?

Jacob dips so that his chin and the side of his head are shielding her face, not seeing what good it would do since his hair was soaking wet, but feeling the need to do something all the same. He peeks down and notices that her eyes are cracked open, a strange look etching itself into her features. Probably due to the fact they were both naked, in the woods, and have full recollection of recent events; it was more than uncomfortable knowing that she was, in fact, awake. He liked it better when she was sleeping.

"You don't have to carry me," she almost whispers, "I can walk."

Jacob shakes his head shortly before resting it on her forehead, sensing that their arrival at the Clearwater home would be sufficiently awkward, and now knowing what their interaction was going to be like. -Short and sweet.

"It's fine, we're almost there."

He watches as she closes her eyes and returns her cheek to his chest, not another sound escaping her as he breaks into a very controlled run, finding himself unable to stand the weather's condition any longer. He's surprised at how tired he feels, unsure as to how much sleep he got, but absolutely positive that he'd never been _this_ tired. It was as if everything had been drained. Every little drop of energy, every urge or desire to run and have fun; gone. All he wanted to do was sleep. What was even worse; all he wanted to do was sleep, with _her_. Nobody was sure what would happen if someone 'mated' with Leah during one of her cycles, but he was certainly figuring it out.

**Rule number one: **Must follow intoxicating scent through woods where you will inadvertently double plug your beta with someone you hate. -End rule one.

Jacob winces at the thought, hating the fact that he and…_Paul_… both had sex with Leah. In fact, he hated it so much, that for a brief moment, the thought of murdering Paul so that he never told anyone brought itself to the forefront of his mind. It stayed there as he waded himself and a still silent Leah through what he could only name as a sink hole; a large, flooded, muddy and disgusting sink hole. The only reason he couldn't hold on to that thought, was the fact that he knew Paul was already home and had more than likely bragged about it to everyone else; minus Sue, Seth and the other Elders. Making Leah into a whore and talking shit about how amazing it was would have been so true to Paul's character, and Jacob found himself beyond furious at the man in question already. If he hadn't told, he'd kill him. If he had, he's still kill him. Either way, he was dead in Jacob's book.

**Rule number two:** Take female away from other plug buddy and force him away. Spend the next undetermined number of days fucking said beta senseless in every position you can think of at every speed and/or level of roughness. -End rule two.

Jacob struggled to climb up the large ledge bordering the stupid hole he had just crossed, having to juggle her being comfortable, with them getting the fuck out of there. -Her being comfortable won out.

He lifts her a little higher, allowing all her weight to fall on his upper body as he leans back and frees the arm holding her legs. He sees her eyes open, and for a brief second, he completely forgot what he was doing. They stayed like that, staring, both again oblivious to the building storm circling overhead, getting worse by the minute. He couldn't quite fathom what had changed over the past few days, but knew that it had to have been something important. Had he imprinted? -No, that would have happened already.

….**Rule number three:**Develop strange and unexplainable feelings towards said beta and, instead of fucking her, make something resembling 'love' with her. It's not perfect, because you're relationship retarded and your beta just so happens to be Leah Clearwater, but it's kind of sweet. Develop that warm, fuzzy feeling you hear so much about and cuddle with her after 'claiming' her as your partner for life. -End rule three.

-That's what he'd been searching for.

"Holy shit," he breathes almost silently, still staring at her.

He can see confusion creep up onto her face, the fact that they were halfway up a ledge slowly sinking into the 'sink hole' he'd somehow managed to push through had left his mind completely. All he could think about was the fact that she, the girl in front of him, his beta, his friend, the biggest bitch he'd ever met; was his mate. _That's_ why they tried so hard to keep everyone away from her.

"What's wrong?" Leah asks, forcing him back to reality.

In very, un-Leah-like fashion, everything she's feeling is displayed clearly on her face; and he feels terrible about it. Her eyes are red and swollen, her chest and upper body still red from what he could only guess was him. Looking over her, he catches sight of this famous mark his mind has been wandering around. His teeth marks are still beyond vivid, the skin surrounding them purple and a bright red. As his eyes travel back up to hers, he knows she's thinking the same thing, and he knows it's upsetting her. He knows beyond a reasonable doubt that she wont let him help her deal with this when they get back, and as odd as it felt, the thought upset him. Against what seemed to be everything he believed in, he wanted her to talk to him. Unfortunately, this is where her being Leah comes in. -That will never happen.

"Nothing, I'm just tired," he half-lied.

**Rule number four:** Feelings will remain after process is over. You're fucked. -End rule four.

After what he felt could have been a year, the faint light from Leah's house breaks through the still blinding rain and snatches his attention. He no longer tiptoes around the large briar patches and protruding stumps. Instead, he plows through whatever so happens to cross his path, and makes it to the wood line recording a personal best. He's not sure how she's sleeping through all this, but in a way, is beyond grateful. He didn't want to see nor hear the rejection he was sure to receive when they got upstairs. -It seemed that he'd be forced to deal either way now that they're 'mated'. A sad fact that he's less that happy to have thought up.

**Rule number five:** 'Mating', apparently, resembles imprinting in the most horrifying of ways. There's a pull. There's a need. Only difference seems to be, there's also a _want_. You've screwed yourself on that one, kid. -End rule five.

Jacob jogs across the front yard and up the porch steps, stopping in front of the door to listen for what kind of damage they'd be dealing with. Luckily, they seemed to be alone for the moment. He tilted Leah so that he could grip the door handle and pushed it open, stepping through and ignoring the closing part completely. In an attempt to just get it all over with, he bounds up the staircase and nudges her bedroom door open, shoving it closed with his heel. Being in her room was like a drug addict being in a house full of their preferred poison. Her scent was everywhere, and it was intoxicating. He was surprised to find how simple it was. Someone like Leah not really seeming to be satisfied with merely, 'simple'. There was what looked to be a queen sized bed in the middle of the far wall, two end tables on either side, both with matching lamps and various pictures in frames. There was a dresser, and a desk with her laptop. The walls were an almost navy blue, making the room seem comfortably dark even with the moon peeking through the curtains. All in all, it was pretty dull, but cozy, he supposed.

Shaking his head, he moves across the room and to the right side of the bed, softly placing her atop the ruffled sheets. He pulls the top sheet over her, then the comforter, then takes a few minutes to tuck them both around her and fix the pillows around her head….

…**Rule number six:** Previously mentioned feelings for said beta will force you to do things you normally wouldn't. Tucking her into bed after carrying her halfway across the fucking planet during what could quite possibly be the worst storm Forks and/or La Push has seen in years is a good place to start. You will admire everything about her and allow yourself to feel like a pathetic little baby when the thought of leaving her crosses your mind. You are now a pansy - deal with it.

He stands for a moment, watching her wiggle and squirm beneath his strategically tucked blankets trying to find that perfect position. Against his better judgment, once she's situated, he leans in and kisses her forehead softly, the urge to do it again creeping up on him as he pulls away.

'_No,'_ -he thinks to himself- _'this is over.'_

It pains him even in thought, seeing her forget about everything that happened and torture him for the rest of his life for ever having touched her like that. Jacob shakes his head, trying to rid his mind of all the million thoughts swimming around and clashing with each other. He wants to make her see that it's different, that they're meant to be together. -She's _his_….but he's also _hers._ It's not like he first thought being mated would be. He cares about her, he needs her. But somewhere along the short road they'd been on, he'd figured out that it wasn't just this little mess they found themselves in making him feel that way. It had been there for a long time. He was just too afraid to make her see, and she was too stubborn and heartbroken to ever allow it. -Jesus, what a disaster.

He stands upright and turns to go, his heart bursting through his chest when he hears her soft voice. "Will you stay?" She asks, sounding as if she's barely awake. "Please?"

'_Just keep walking, just keep walking, just keep walking…'_

"Of course," he whispers, easing himself onto the bottom of the bed and slowly making his way up.

He gets there and retracts the covers from around her, pulling some over him and subconsciously pressing his chest into her back, his arms instinctually molding around her. She doesn't protest, and he can feel his entire body go haywire from the growing contact. What was first supposed to be just sleeping, was now turning into cuddling. What was first supposed to be just cuddling, was now turning into light groping.

"Leah," he breathes into her ear, his resolve breaking quickly. "Tell me to stop."

He's not really sure what he's asking for, or why, but he knows he needs something. Whether it's reassurance that she is, in fact, his; or whether it's the exact opposite and he just needs that boundary in place to be able to sleep, it's _something_.

He moves his hand down her stomach, his fingers tracing along her pelvic bone as he feels her begin to move. She's moaning softly, the mere feel of his hands on her skin sending enough desire through her to make her forget all about how tired she really was. Her hand finds his and she intertwines their fingers, pushing her ass further into his growing cock. He cant fathom ever not having this, ever leaving this, ever letting this go.

"Just tell me to stop," he whispers, closing his eyes and pressing his face into her hair.

Leah squeezes his hand tightly and relaxes into him, "I don't want you to."

'_I thought this was __over__?'_ -He mentally scolds- _'What the fuck am I doing!'_

**Rule number seven:** Even after you've woken from the haze said beta's scent put you under, you will find yourself unshakably attracted to her and will _not_ be able to be anywhere near her if you ever wish to rid yourself of these desires. -Awe, who am I kidding? They're there, buddy, and they aint' going anywhere. -End rule seven.

Jacob slowly slides his hand between her thighs, bringing the one on top up and behind her to rest on his hip. He can already smell her arousal, again, and, again, it's driving him insane. She closes her eyes and keeps her grip on his hand tight, readying herself for what she knows will be amazing. She wants it. She wants _him_. Yet, that small sliver of doubt remains. All the times he's said he's hers, all the times he's said they're together for life; she still just cant be sure.

He rubs slow, deliberate circles over her clit, his arms length giving him the perfect reach. He times them with the noises she's making, speeding up every time she gets louder, every time she grits out his name. Hearing it only eggs him on further, his cock beginning to throb and ache as he feels her hips begin to move with his fingers.

"Jake," she pants, "please… I want you…"

Jacob continues on with what he's doing, a small grin forming. "What do you want, Lee?"

"I want you.."

He shakes his head, "what do you want me to do?"

He can hear her heartbeat pick up, her breathing verging on erratic as his fingers move faster, his dick pressing against her entrance every time she grinds her hips.

"I want you inside of me, I want you to fuck me. Jesus, Jake please…"

Jacob chuckles at how quickly the irritation resurfaces, loving the familiarity he feels when she takes that tone. Nothing about the last few days has been familiar. In fact, if he weren't in his current position, doing what he was currently doing; he may have honestly believed it to be a dream.

"Yes ma'am," he hums in an almost sing song voice, removing his fingers and pushing his hips forward.

He eases himself inside of her, pressing his hand against her lower stomach for support. She sucks in a sharp breath, having forgotten how sore she was. He returns her tight grip with his hand that had, until then, been almost limp inside hers. Again, he cant shake the intimacy he feels this time around. Nothing about it is forced, nothing is desperate or needy. It all flows so perfectly once he starts, both of their hips moving together, her hand still placed perfectly in his. It's culminating, it's defectless; it's absolute.

'_and it's __mine'_ -he grinned, hugging her to him tightly. 

Leah nuzzles her head under his as he continues to sweetly move in and out of her. It's a feeling she just cant get enough of. Like he's supposed to be the one doing it. Like he was always supposed to be the one doing it. He nips and kisses her shoulder softly, everything about what he's doing reflecting how he's feeling. Still, even through all the ooey gooey emotions he was submerged in, his dick had other things on it's mind. Apparently so did her pussy.

He could feel her tensing underneath him, her walls constricting and closing around him almost painfully. And, even though it felt good like it was, he couldn't help himself any longer. He began pushing harder, jolting her body and eliciting delicious moans and growls from her chest. Her chest that housed her breasts that, he now noticed, were bouncing with an incredible amount of grace. Amazing grace. -Jesus.

"Jake?"

He can hear the question lingering there, and although he would like nothing more than to flip her over and have his way with those damn tits that were teasing the shit out of him, he remained tangled with her, hugging her tightly and slowing his pace back down to a soft beat.

"I'm yours," she whispers, rubbing her face softly against his. "Stay with me."

"I'm here aren't I?" He grins, reveling in the calm she's putting off.

"That's not what I mean," she smiles, wiggling herself around on his cock. "I mean _stay_ with me."

Jacob knew what she meant the first time, but hearing it a second time didn't hurt. As surprising as her being cool with all of it was, he wasn't going to protest. He wanted her, and if he had a chance, he'd take it.

"I'm with you, baby," he rocks back into her. "I'll stay as long as you'll let me."

**Rule number eight:** Said beta, perhaps, will surprise you and return those strange and unexplainable feelings. Such would be needed to keep you together, a denial of the already completed mating process would complicate things to an utterly extreme level. Maybe you can both be pansies together? -End rule eight.

As he picks up where he left off, grunting while working into a steady pace, everything around him seems to dissolve. It feels as if all the heartache he's been through is gone, all the disappointment and pointlessness he categorized with relationships replaced with…this.

'_maybe it's not over?'_

* * *

The sun sent a stinging sensation throughout her chest and shoulders as it shone through the parted curtains, the remnants of last night's storm still dripping from the trees and roof of the house. She could hear everything; all of the droplets scurrying down the leaves and branches, hitting the ground with pinpointed blips; all of the animals calmly tracing through the thousands of puddles scattered throughout the forest floor. She felt so relaxed, but knew that her body was beyond sore. Every movement was like a battle between her mind and her muscles. Her mind wants to get up, her body wants to rest. It's a complicated fight.

It's in this moment she remembers who it is lying completely still beside her, his breathing is steady, but he was defiantly awake. She remains still for a moment, unsure of how to go about this confrontation. The realization hits her much harder than she'd thought it would, and as she ponders what she's supposed to do, she feels him stirring beside her. Curious as to what he's doing, she peeks over her shoulder, revealing him pulling his shirt over his head. Her first thought of course travels to him leaving, and decides against saying anything. Maybe it's best if he does? Staying true to her usual ways, she feels herself growing more and more defensive, wanting him gone so that she can go on about her life. It was just sex, right? That's what she'd told herself before she left the house, and that's what it was going to be.

She didn't need another relationship that was just going to break her heart and screw her up even more. So what if she felt completely whole with him, like he was the only person she was ever truly supposed to be with? So what if he made her feel as if Sam had never existed and that her life had never fallen apart? So what if they mated? It's not imprinting. Nobody has set any rules about this whole thing. She can do what she wants, right? She doesn't _have_ to be with him. So what if she wanted him to mean everything he said? She'd wanted that with Sam, too. Why should she succumb to what could quite possibly be even _worse_ then what happened with Sam?

-Fuck it.

"Are you hungry?" He asks quietly, pulling on a pair of pants he snagged from Seth. "I thought about going out and grabbing something."

Leah remains silent, hugging the sheet to her chest in an attempt to ease the pressure she feels building. She reaches up and brushes her hair from her eyes, feeling the horrifying knots settled in all throughout it. She sits up and secures the sheets around her, facing the opposite wall that he's currently glaring through. He knows what's coming. He can feel it in her body language, in her silence.

"Lee," he whispers, "talk to me."

"Go ahead, I don't care."

Jacob pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs, recognizing the tell tale signs of what normally leads to an outburst of the more violent nature. "Don't do that. I'm not asking for much, right? I just want you to talk to me. I know this is-"

Leah snatches the covers from the bed and keeps them wrapped snugly around her as she shuffles across the room to her dresser. "You don't know shit, Jacob. Just go."

"I don't _want_ to leave, Leah. I don't want you to think that this is just because of that stupid cycle. I've told you a thousand times that I want you. I do. I don't care about what happened, we can forget all about it, I want to start over."

He moves behind her and places his hands on her shoulders, amazed by how much this tiny amount of contact affects him. He knows it does the same to her. He can feel her body relax as soon as he touches her, but as if something snaps, she shrugs them off and shoves him away.

"I don't care about what happened so you don't have to feel guilty. It's over. Just leave it where it is. I'm not going to get into a 'relationship' because you feel bad that we fucked. Just leave."

Jacob watches her as she rummages through her drawers and finally finds whatever she's looking for, slamming them shut before turning to him. He flinches at how hard she's glaring, her face void of anything resembling compassion. She's never been so harsh with him. Not _him_. Embry, sure. Quil, always. But not him. Why she's suddenly so adamant on pushing him away is something he just cant grasp, but he's sure it has something to do with everything that's happened and it pisses him off beyond belief.

"I'm not Sam," he growls through gritted teeth, never breaking eye contact.

"I don't care who you are, _Black_. Get out of my room."

He frowns, "Leah.."

"Get. Out. Of. My. Fucking. Room. Now."

She points to the door and watches as he contemplates what to do. Against his own need to fix this, he drops his hands to his sides and walks to it, stopping beneath the frame.

"When you get your head on strait and wanna talk, you know where to find me. Until then, you patrol with Embry."

As soon as her door closes she feels her chest cave in. The fact that he didn't just leave was wearing on her. He could have. He could have been gone before she woke up, but he wasn't. He seemed the same. He was spewing all the same mess he had been when they were out there. Maybe he was telling the truth.

-It didn't matter. It didn't change anything.

Leah went to the bathroom and ran a bath with nothing but hot water, climbing in as soon as it was halfway full. She turned the knob with her toes and leaned back, resting her head on the comfortable headrest her father had installed years before. She was always his favorite, despite what Seth may say. She was his angel, and he treated her like one. The thoughts only pushed her mood to the next level, bringing on the tears that had been waiting to spew since Jacob had walked out of her bedroom door. She sniffed one good time and refused to allow them to fall. Instead, she forgot about everything and allowed her sore, bruised body to soak in the stifling hot water. It eased some of the tension, but left what seemed to hurt the most.

She didn't know how long she was in there, in fact, after falling asleep, she wasn't even sure it was still daylight out. The water was cold, not cool, not a little chilly, it was _cold_. She shivered while rising, pulling her favorite towel around her and drying herself off. As she was pulling her tank top over her head she heard a light tap at the door, shaky breaths audible through the thin wood.

"Lee?"

Leah released a heavy breath and closed her eyes, "yeah, Seth… I'm in here."

She could hear the long sigh of relief he let out and for a second, felt a little bad for probably worrying him to death. She moved to the door and opened it slowly, only allowing him passage when she saw he was alone.

As soon as the door was completely open she could see his eyes widen, both darting directly to her neck. He raked over her, his fists clenching and unclenching, his nostrils flaring and his breaths seeming to come up short.

"What the fuck, Leah?" He growled, moving forward and backing her into the counter. "Did Jacob do this?"

As soon as he asked, Leah saw her mother and Sam both move into the doorway, neither of their reactions differing much from Seth's. She felt slightly self conscious with all of their eyes glued to her, all studying her, it seemed.

"Why is he here?" Leah asked Sue, nodding her head in Sam's direction. "Jacob will kill him if he finds him here."

Unsure of why she'd say that, or how she knew when she couldn't even talk to Jacob this morning, she was certain it was the truth. There was no doubt in her mind that if Jacob found Sam here with her, he'd do just what she'd said; he'd kill him.

"Leah I-"

"I want you to leave," Leah said calmly. "Now."

"He's here to help us figure this all out," Sue appeased, stepping into the bathroom.

"I don't need his help, I know what's going on. I want him to go, mom, please."

Leah looked only to her mother when she spoke, unwilling to engage in she and Sam's usual Battle Royal. She just wanted him gone. Having the talk they were more than likely about to have wasn't something she wanted her ex present for. Her ex that was currently ruining something that had the potential of being great.

-Alright, maybe it was actually her and her unspoken fear of having her heart ripped to shreds again. She didn't have to admit that though.

Sue nodded slowly and shooed Sam away, flicking her wrist towards the stairs. As soon as the front door sounded shut, Sue's well held veneer shattered and she pulled Leah into a very painful hug.

"We were so worried about you!" She cried out, stroking Leah's damp hair. "I knew you were with Jacob after Paul came over but I wasn't sure if-"

"Paul?" Leah shouted, almost phasing when thinking of what he could have told them. "What did he say?"

Sue released her and pulled back, confusion wracking her features. "He said he found you but Jacob took you with him, that he wouldn't let you go… are you alright?"

Leah's breathing slowed slightly when she heard of Paul's generous, but very odd, lie. Why _would_ he lie? He hated Leah, and this would have been a perfect opportunity to get back at her for constantly poking at him. She was only able to ponder it a moment before Seth decided he wanted answers.

"Leah, what happened? Why are you all beat up? Where were you and why didn't you let us know you were alright? Why couldn't you have-"

"Seth!" She slaps his chest and pushes herself from the counter, moving to the door. "Come down and I'll tell you everything. I just need some food."

Seth and Sue exchanged glances before following her downstairs, both more than curious as to what had really gone on, and why Jacob stormed into Billy's home early this morning wanting nothing to do with anyone. He had that look; the one he'd worn for weeks when he and Bella were on and off again. Like his world had been crushed. Had they not been so worried about Leah and informing the pack of the new rules, they may have checked on him. -Later, they decided.

**Rule number nine: **Said beta will proceed to shatter all of your built up hopes for what the two of you have, and you will return to your home to sulk. Your expectations will lower considerably, your heart will sink and your assholish veneer will return to carry you until you're able to get over it. -Although, mating is for life. So, unfortunately for you, this could quite possibly mean eternal damnation of the heart. In your case, the end of your short lived romance, and the end of any hopes of ever living without heartbreak. -End rule nine.

* * *

**a/n. Rightttt, so this one was a little un-fun-ish. But what's a good story without a little drama/angst, eh? I cant help it alright! Yes, Kei, we both know that I'm complication prone… don't rub it in! Anyway, nextchapter will skip a few days and the rest will really be Leah/Jacob. I really hope you enjoyed, I promise to limit the hope crushing during for the remainder of the story. I know I said this is a 'fun' fic, but what can I say? :D Thanks to everyone reading and if you would please, hit that little button down there and let me know what you think. It means more than you may believe. Hehe. **

**Wilfs: My smut muse is staggering, but is hanging in there. I get a break next chap so, cross your fingers! Ses, I did this in a single day just because of your authors note at the end of No Escape, which by the way was fanfuckingtastic! Ahem, anyway, love you girls and I cant wait for your reviews. They're always my faves. =) **


	5. Give a Little

**Heat Activated**

**By: Cucumber07.**

**Chapter 5- Give a Little.**

_As hard as you may try to deny those you love, the feeling will remain. It's not a matter of giving in, it's, instead, a matter of allowing them to love you and doing what comes naturally in return._

Waking up this morning is proving to be a challenge. Not because she hasn't had enough sleep, nor because she has done something to over exert herself. Instead, this difficulty lies with the pure and unmistakable lump of regret lingering in the depths of her stomach, making it's way up into her throat, clearly trying to strangle her. She turns her head and peeks at the clock, the green neon numbers a bright and almost tauntingly clear ten thirty. The sun seems obnoxiously bright today, it's rays sprawled across her floor and comforter as if it belongs there, the light doing nothing to ease her temper. Why she's so frustrated is uncomfortably certain, to the point that, if someone asked, she'd surely lie and tell them she was fine. -Leah rarely ever lies.

She would even go so far as to fake a smile, she thinks. Loud thumps sound from the stairs, her brother's scent soon seeping under her bedroom door and invading her room. Somehow, it doesn't cover the still hovering scent of her Alpha who hasn't been here in three days, only fueling her already raging fire. Seth says nothing at first, still obviously uncomfortable since their little 'talk'. She hadn't planned on sharing so much, but once she started reliving the memories, everything just sort of exploded from her mouth. Her mother and brother both wore absolutely horrified expressions during the whole tale, but it didn't hinder Leah from continuing. She had to talk to _someone_ about it. The only problem was, her feelings for her now distant Alpha had to remain unspoken. It wasn't something she was ready to address; especially not with her closest living relatives. This is where a best friend would have come in handy. -If only she still had one.

"Lee, you up?" Seth asks from the still closed door, his shadow visible under the small crack.

Leah lies still for a moment, savoring the last few moments of peace she'd have all day. Embry and Quil have been regulars at her home since she returned. So much so, that, despite how close they had been growing to one another, she's ready to murder them both. No one has dared to bring up the subject, including Seth, since she spoke with her mother about it. Sue even seemed to be avoiding eye contact with her now that she knew the truth. What was even worse, Jacob had failed to show his face since he left that morning and hadn't left a single message or text. Why that bothered her she still refused to admit, but it was clear that she was far from herself. Her mind was often elsewhere, her eyes following close behind. All she'd been willing to do was patrol when forced to, eat and during a rare moment, she would watch a few minutes of whatever the boys had on.

She wouldn't dream of asking any of them where Jacob was or how he was doing, but the questions were slowly eating away at her the longer she went without knowing. Again, her refusal to admit this only added to her current conviction.

"Lee?"

"Yeah Seth, I'm up. Why?"

There was a brief pause before, "Ummm.. I just wanted to let you know that Jake is coming over for the day.."

This, despite her outer charade, perked her up the slightest bit. She flung the covers from her bed and immediately planted her feet to the floor. Forgetting momentarily about her well held uncaring resolve, Leah runs to the door and slings it open, Seth's eyes comically bulging from his head when she does so.

"What did you say?"

"Well….we miss him. You said that what happened didn't change anything so I just figured that it wouldn't be a big deal since it's been a few days if he came over and hung out for the day….right? I mean.. is that okay?"

Leah gaped at him and his quickly thought up excuse. Although, judging by their usual interaction, she was sure he came prepared with at least three. She shifted her weight to one hip and placed her hand on her waist, the other still firmly gripping the door frame. He watched her with a slightly nervous anticipation, trying his hardest not to notice the still very vivid scattered scratches and bruises all over her. The sport bra -pathetically designed cloth short combo doing nothing to hide any of them. Her face scrunched momentarily before she sighed and nodded, her gaze falling to the floor.

"Just let me get a shower first, alright?"

Seth smiled widely and hugged her, quickly letting go when she grimaced. "You sure you're okay? Jesus, I cant believe he did all that to you….and you guys weren't even fighting…"

Leah snorts, "yes, Seth, I'm fine. Get outta here so I can get ready."

"Whatcha getting ready for? I thought this was no big deal," Seth teases, backing up until his back was against the banister for good measure.

"Watch it, baby brother," Leah mocks. "I don't want to beat you up in front of your widdle fwiends."

Seth's face drops immediately and his smile shifts to a very distinct frown, his shoulders slumping while he turns for the stairs. "I don't like you sometimes."

Leah grins, but stays silent, refusing to have him anywhere near her while she's silently freaking out about the person she hates more than anyone at the moment coming over to visit. As soon as her door closes, she's scrambling. Every piece of clothing in her room is looked at, every outfit that still fits and is worth a damn is messily sprawled all over her bed as she rummages through everything to figure out how she wants to go about this. After about ten minutes she leaves the clothes with a huff and runs to the bathroom, taking the quickest shower she can manage. Upon getting out and looking in the mirror, a small war begins to wage in her head; the subject of how obvious she wants to make this becoming a serious problem.

Leah knew that on a regular basis, none of this would be done upon his arrival. However, she cant shake the nerves that have built and wants nothing more than to show him exactly what he's missing…-though she's actually the one doing the missing. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knows that she's playing these games because she's afraid. She's afraid of how he makes her feel. She's afraid of putting her trust in him. She's afraid of allowing herself the vulnerability that comes with a relationship. It's unavoidable, and yet strangely comforting all at the same time. Deciding in signature Leah fashion, she refuses to allow a man to keep her from looking nice, and continues on to style and dry her hair, then tops it off with makeup.

-Finite.

It's been so long since she's actually been nervous about seeing someone, that the vulnerability she hates so much, is there before he is. Although she knows Quil, Embry and her brother will all be present, she cant help but want to soak up what little time she will have with him. Her refusal to give in still stands, and he isn't going to like it. Him leaving before he's supposed to is a very likely occurrence.

After battling it out with her closet and clothes, Leah reluctantly gives in and settles on a black and pink cami her mother bought her, still brand new. Far from what she usually wears, but her only option it seems. She pulls the tag off and tugs it over her head, the tight material and cinching around her tits striking her as perfect for this specific occasion. She studies it in the mirror and almost laughs to herself at how horrified Seth will be when he gets a peek at it. She hears knocking on the front door and immediately throws everything back into her closet and drawers, pulling her favorite 'destroyed' denim shorts up over her, 'just in case', black laced underwear.

-_Nothing wrong with planning ahead_.- She appeases herself while ruffling her hair in the mirror one last time before taking a seat at her desk and opening her laptop. She may have been eager to see him, but with their current situation, timing was everything. She wasn't planning on giving into him, no, that was out of the question. He was just someone she had sex with and is now moving on from. There are no ties. There are no strings.

She hears the front door open and close, _his_ footsteps completely audible to her even through the door and a story below her. His voice sounds off through the house, forcing her eyes closed, and all rationality seems to follow her clothing, -locked away in a heaping mess.

After waiting precisely ten minutes and thirty nine seconds, she knows, because she counts them, Leah stands and makes her way to the door. Her hand hovers over the knob for a few moments until she takes a deep breath, places her game face on, and yanks it open.

* * *

Jacob sighs a very long, very exasperated sigh as he slowly makes his way up the Clearwater's front porch steps. He eyeballs the door for a moment, unsure of why he's actually here. He doesn't want to be. Not because he doesn't want to see her, but because he knows exactly how she's going to act. It will be a silent, cocky battle between the two of them; her screaming that she doesn't care, and him countering that he does. It's tiring, and old. He hadn't minded as much when his feelings were unknown and still safely locked away behind the show he put on for her everyday. He can safely say everyday because they were, in fact, together everyday. Whether it was patrolling or just hanging out, there was always an excuse. Far be it from him to think himself smart enough to figure out _the_ Leah Clearwater, he wasn't dumb enough to allow all the excuses she made to see him slide by unnoticed. Not that it was a bad thing, he did it too.

Now though, now it was all a matter of his feelings _not_ being safely locked away. He thought he'd made it pretty clear that he was for real, that it had meant more to him than just a fuck-for-all out in the woods. But of course, he'd failed to realize that she was only hours away from waking up and going back to her usual evasive self. It was a sock to the gut, and a complete cold cock to his pride. Having not been romantically involved since Bella, if that even counts, spilling his feelings out for someone who had previously been too intimidating to even graze the subject with, was plenty hard enough. Getting rejected after thinking he'd been accepted was literally like the icing on the cake.

He hears Seth and the others inside laughing and joking, clearly unbothered by what has gone on. Unfortunately, them being here with her without him the past few days, has _certainly_ bothered him. It was unexplainable, but he always knew. Just like he knew that Sam had been here the day they got back, and words could never describe how pissed he was. But, it apparently wasn't any of his business. With that thought, the pained feeling he knows so well following, he sucked in a breath and knocked on the door. Knocking was usually never a necessity, but he felt the need what with everything that happened.

"Hey Jake!" Seth practically yelled, motioning for him to enter before Jacob could even respond.

"Hey Seth," Jacob said calmly. "What are you guys up to?"

"Just playin' some video games, wanna join?" Embry twisted around to look at him, patting the seat beside him on the floor.

"Nah, I'll just watch you guys for now."

They could hear it in his voice, the uncertainty, and it unsettled them. Knowing what happened made it even more difficult to keep their minds in check. They didn't want to talk to him about it, it would surely only start a fight, but him being uncomfortable around them wasn't any better.

"That's cool," Seth broke in with ease, taking his seat on the couch. "There's plenty to eat in there if you wanna fix something."

"I'm good guys, it's cool," he said with a halfhearted laugh, moving to stand behind the love seat.

Her presence upstairs was painful. As hard as he tried to ignore it, he could hear her heartbeat, and her scent was driving him up the wall. Choosing to stand as close as possible to the stairs was a mistake he'd never really understand, and as soon as he heard that bedroom door open, he wanted nothing more than to run like hell. He heard the door click closed and her footsteps lightly tapping each step, his peripheral vision able to catch the exact moment she hit the bottom. He hadn't planned on paying her any attention if it came to that, but when he saw her, it was very clear he was fighting a losing battle. She had the strangest grin on her face as she rounded the post of the staircase, unintentional eye contact on both their parts stopping her dead in her tracks.

He suddenly wished he hadn't come. She looked gorgeous. It was as if he was seeing her that first time all over again, back when she was still in high school, only now she had filled out completely and, putting it lightly, had bigger tits and nicer shaped ass. Not that he'd gotten such a good view back then. Her shirt clung to every inch it was supposed to be covering, not much by any means, and had her breasts pushed up with mounds of cleavage in plain sight for anyone looking. Her shorts..-Jesus, her shorts..- as if you could call them that. They were just about equivalent to underwear, the denim ripped and faded above the cuffed hems the only thing that could possibly classify them as 'shorts'. He felt his body heat up, her outfit striking him as unfit for an afternoon spent with a house full of guys. -Had she been dressing like this everyday they were here?

"Jacob," Leah nodded as she regrouped and brushed past him.

He stood still while trying his best to gather his wits, her scent and close proximity attacking his very weak, very unprepared resolve. Looking back over to the guys didn't help, their interests were peaked, and they weren't any good at hiding it. Seth, in particular, had his eyes fixed on Jacob even after she left the room.

"You should go apologize to her," Seth whispered, catching Embry and Quil's attention.

"For what?" Jacob asked, genuinely confused.

"For leaving all those bruises," Seth hissed, clearly unpleased with having to discuss it.

Jacob groaned and threw his head back, agreeing on some levels, but unwilling to apologize after she'd kicked _him_ out. He hadn't done anything wrong, this time, and it didn't really seem fair. But, seeing that Seth was very serious, and knowing he was going to end up talking to her anyway; Jacob pushed off the loveseat and slowly crept into the kitchen's doorway, posting himself against the frame.

"Leah," he said quietly, his gaze to the floor. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Leah's stomach turned upside down when she realized he followed, her position at the stove gracing her enough to place her back towards him, hiding her face.

"Do whatever you want," she clipped, stirring the soup she was cooking.

Jacob watched her as she moved, her ass cheeks practically hanging out of her shorts and keeping his attention as she shifts from one hip to the other. Thinking of the others watching her the way he was while he was gone was a thought that he hadn't been prepared for. She lifts both hands and traces her fingers through her hair, absentmindedly pulling it to one side and leaving her neck in plain view. He could feel himself, maybe even _hear_ himself growling, but only knew for sure when she peeked over her shoulder, her face scrunched in confusion.

"What the fuck is your problem, Black?"

Hearing her call him by his last name takes his frustrations to the next level, opening the wounds on his pride up to be worsened with whatever she'd dish out during his visit. Why she's being so defiant, again, he's sure is linked with the very person that was here to 'check on her' the day they returned; needless to say, it was becoming a sore subject for him as well.

"Would it kill you to be civil with me? I just want to talk, Leah," he growls, pushing himself off the doorframe and moving behind her. "Christ, you act like I've done something unforgivable. Kicking me out like I'm some fucking stranger… what the fuck is wrong with _you_ Clearwater?"

Leah freezes when she feels him so close. He is keeping his voice low, but the sounds pulse through her body like he's screaming at her. She's actually very unprepared for the questions he's asking, and honestly, cant think of a way to answer other than what she'd normally say. And although she knows acting that way will get her nowhere, she continues on.

"Get out of my kitchen," she says dryly, shrugging it off with apparent ease. "I don't need to listen to this shit, you're-"

He growls again, louder this time, and closes the small space between them. His hands slip under the cuffs of her shorts, her ass cheeks falling perfectly into his palms as he pushes her against the stove.

"Stop being such a bitch," he bites, driving his hips into her ass. "I'm trying, Leah, I am…"

Her eyes close as his voice softens, his face falling into her exposed neck, his hands leaving her shorts and tracing around her waist. He hugs her, slowly pulling her closer to him when he doesn't feel her protest. He kisses the mark, _his_ mark, softly before lifting his face to press it against hers. She drops her hands to rest on his forearms that are rested around her stomach, her previous plans for avoiding this sort of situation forgotten.

She leans into him and sighs, her eyes remaining closed. "What do you want?"

"I want to start over… I meant everything I said, Leah. I want to try this… for real. Just give me a chance? Hang out with me, maybe go on a few dates with me… let me show you that I _can_ and _will_ make you happy."

Leah doesn't really have to ponder the suggestion, it's what she's subconsciously wanted since they got back. Feeling this way makes her more than uncomfortable, and is a little disgusting. There's no doubt that she wants him, it's just doing it without walking into another disaster of a relationship that's the trick. She moves the pot from the eye, pressing a small button on the front and shutting it off. He watches her as she shifts in his arms, turning so that she can see him, her face much softer than before. He can see the doubt still lingering, surely resulting from her debate on whether she wants to kill him or not; but he remains still, his eyes never leaving hers.

She blows out a loud breath, pressing her palms to his chest. "Pick me and Seth up at nine tomorrow," she says softly, watching him as his face lights up.

"Where are we going?"

"I've been wanting to go swimming in the river….we can start there…," she grins absentmindedly when a huge smile spreads over his features.

Jacob leans in and kisses her forehead, nodding his agreement when pulling away. He watches her as she studies him, her fingers tracing around the material on his shirt, her hands finally dropping to his jeans. She grips his belt loops and pulls him to her, her arms immediately wrapping around him and squeezing. He doesn't say anything; no expression of his excitement nor his nerves about their first, 'date'. He remains silent and returns the surprisingly sweet gesture.

"I bet I can beat you at Halo," Jacob offers quietly in her ear, still wrapped in her embrace.

"Which one?" She grumbles in his chest, her secret smile very audible to him just by hearing her.

"Number three, Seth just got it," he says, grinning.

Leah pulls back and punches his chest lightly, "you're on."

She snatches the pot of soup and transfers it to a bowl, grabbing a spoon on her way to the living room. As soon as she's out of sight Jacob releases a breath he'd apparently been holding, completely taken aback by what just happened. He runs his hands down his face and smiles, slowly preparing himself to hold his, so far, well kept cool. He walks to the doorway and watches as she takes a seat on the sofa, crossing her legs and immediately assaulting the soup. That feeling he remembered so vividly from the forest comes rushing back and he can almost _feel_ his chest swell. At least she's not fighting it so hard now. Maybe there's a chance.

-_Maybe it's not over?_- He nods to himself and joins her, bringing his own spoon to help her get rid of her meal.

**Rule number ten:** Said beta seems to be giving in a little... my advice to you... **DONT** fuck it up! -End rule ten.

* * *

**a/n. Okie dokie… so next we have their little date. Lmao. Ah I cant wait to write it. I have so many ideas for it. :D Thank you guys for reading and for all the great reviews! Almost 100 and there's only 4 chaps. *jumps in seat excitedly!* YAYY! **

**Hehe. **

**Anyway, more smut-tastic lemons to come. I already have the next one planned out, next chapter I think. Loves to all of you following. =)**

**Kei.. I miss you. T-T I've been so lonely… *sniffs*… Love you!**


	6. Round 1

**Heat Activated**

**By:Cucumber07**

**Chapter 6- Round 1**

He could smell her from a mile away, and it was unbelievable. It was illogical. It made absolutely no sense. Standing at the back door, his brows bunched together, face tense and confused, he stared. He stared through the wood, the kitchen, up the stairs, through another door, and he could have sworn he saw her. He felt her move. He felt her breathe. He felt her hum whatever song it was stuck in her head. It was like he was humming it himself, the vibrations were so strong. He could vaguely feel the trickles of rain pouring onto his head, through his hair, and into his clothes. He could somewhat hear the thunder pounding, the wind roaring, the sheets of rain attacking everything around him. There was a thunderstorm, a hurricane, a tornado going on around him, but he couldn't see it. He couldn't hear it, feel it. Something was different. Something was there that hadn't been yesterday. She didn't smell the same, she didn't sound the same. It was delicious.

"Jake?"

His eyes were glossy, distant. His mind was nowhere to be found as he continued to listen to her every movement, her every step. He felt her move from her room, down the hall, into the bathroom. He closed his eyes.

"Jacob?"

He heard the knobs turn, the water spurt from the faucet, the comforting jet of the shower now humming. She closed the curtain. He felt her turn, felt her reach for her shirt. Everything was heightened, it felt like he was right there. Like he could reach out and touch her. Her shirt falls to the floor and he can feel her hands grip her shorts. His heart pounds loudly, painfully.

"Jacob!"

Her shorts fall, she's mostly bare. He hears her bra unsnap and join her other clothes on the floor… she must not be wearing underwear. Her footsteps move slowly across the tile, the light pads of her feet as loud as drums in his ears. The curtains pull again, open he assumes, and then closed. And then it all stops. The shower's loud spray blocks anything else from his crazed senses, and as soon as he realizes it, he feels himself almost shaking.

"JACOB FUCKING BLACK!"

"Huh?" He looks up, almost stunned, and stares at Seth sheepishly. "Oh, uh, hey man.."

"Hey?" Seth yells. "HEY! I've been standing here for like five minutes and now you say hey?"

Jacob shrugs, his eyes taking in the outside of the Clearwater's home. "Sorry man, I uh, … I dunno I guess I just spaced for a minute."

"Spaced? You were fucking gone, man…" he shakes his head and moves to let Jacob in. "You guys are so weird sometimes."

"Who?"

Seth closes the door and motions his hand up the stairs. "You and my dip shit sister up there, she's been acting like a nutcase all morning."

Jacob grinned crookedly. "How so?"

Seth shrugged and leaped over the couch, picking up the 360 remote he left lying on the floor and continuing his game. "I don't know, just odd. Tripping all over herself, fumbling, stuttering, _spacing out_. She seemed confused. She's in the shower now."

"Right now?"

"Uh, _yeah_….she just got in." Seth stared at him.

"Like just now? As I was standing outside?"

He could see Seth getting frustrated, but continued to smile.

"_Yes_, just now, Jacob. Christ, what is wrong with you?"

Jacob's skin began to itch. He could feel a shudder running through him, an odd pulse through his muscles he couldn't control. He felt hot, hotter than usual. The water all over him was making a puddle on the floor and he knew that Sue was going to kill him for it. Still, he smiled. His stomach was aching… his chest, his head, his hands, his….

"What the fuck is going on!"

Jacob looked up to Seth who had apparently thrown his controller back down and stood. "What is _wrong_ with you? You're freaking me out, Jake."

"I don't know, I feel weird." He stared at his hands, watching as every drop of water that hit is skin literally dissolved. "I'm hotter than usual."

"No shit, I can feel you all the way over here."

"I need to talk to Leah," he mumbled, still staring at his hands and arms. "Obviously swimming is out of the question… we'll figure something out once she gets ready."

Seth snorted. "Good luck with that. She's been trying to find something to wear for the past three hours." He rolled his eyes and snatched the remote up. "Can you two settle whatever it is that's going on before you come back down? I'm getting a little frustrated….you know I hate being in a bad mood."

Jacob laughed, loudly. "Yeah, man…. I'll fix it once I figure it out. No worries."

The game un-paused and the sound of guns and tanks and soldiers filled the living room. Jacob stood still for a minute, debating on how to approach her. It didn't take long for him to decide. His body was aching. All of him. All he knew, was that she was the answer. The closer he got, the better he felt. From his house to her block, from her block to her door, from her door to her living room; every advancement eased it little by little. And he was determined to make it disappear, one way or the other. Walking up the steps was like climbing a mountain. His steps seemed so short and the distance only seemed to grow with each stride. Still, once he made it, he felt as if he were going to explode. There was no denying that it was her doing this to him. How, he wasn't sure. But the fact of the matter was, whether she liked it or not, he needed her. He needed to be around her. He needed to hear her, _feel _her. And he knew she felt it too. She hadn't admitted to it just yet, but he _knew_.

He stood in front of the bathroom door, listening to the water fall around her. He grinned. She was going to be pissed when he walked in. She'd know. She'd smell him or sense him. Either way he wouldn't be able to sneak up on her like he wanted to. There would be no surprising her. And she'd be completely and utterly _pissed_. The thought forced his stomachs into knots. _I'm an idiot_, he thought to himself, _if I think I'm getting out of this alive._ It was true enough. Before this, he went out of his way to avoid her getting angry at him. It was never pleasant, and never ended well for him or for those around him. When Leah was mad, everyone suffered. But, somehow, he found himself void of any fear and filled with a stupid confidence. A stupid confidence that was pushing his hand to the knob and twisting it. The door eased open silently, allowing a wave of steam to grip his skin and lungs. The mirror was fogged and the room was stuffy. He didn't seem to notice. He closed the door just as quietly and turned the lock, satisfied when he heard it click. She didn't make a sound. His brows raised, but he remained silent. He slid his shoes and socks from his feet and crossed the room until he was standing directly in front of the curtain. She still said nothing, and remained completely still. He lifted his hand and slid his fingers around the edges of the cloth, gripping it slowly to give her time for a reaction.

Nothing.

As he was pulling it back, his courage wavering slightly, her hand gripped his quickly and pulled him in. His heart just about stopped when she did it, and his head met the wall fairly hard, but it didn't keep him from glaring at her. She smiled.

"Good morning, Jake." She tilted her head and looked him over. "I figured since you were already soaking wet you wouldn't mind."

Jacob tried to keep himself sturdy, remain at ease, but his eyes betrayed him immediately. He took in her dripping hair that was matted around her neck and shoulders, her face that was still under the rain of shower water, her lips constantly licking it away as it tried to pass over them. He swallowed. She was completely naked, as imagined, but it still took him a minute to process. He skimmed over her slowly; her breasts, her stomach, her hips, her thighs. It was a little overwhelming.

"I knew you were here," she said. "I knew before Seth did."

He met her eyes. "I know. I could feel you as soon as I left my house."

"You wanna explain to me how it is that I could basically _see_ you standing at the door?"

He shrugged. "I have no clue. Honestly," he said absently, his eyes still burning through her. "I was as surprised as you are."

He could see the agitation prickling at her features. Her slightly crinkled nose and brows that were beginning to draw in the middle. Her mouth was parted slightly, her tongue darting in and out over her lips as the water continued to assault her. It seemed odd, her being comfortable with standing in the shower stark naked, with him of all things, so early in the morning. It felt odd even to him. Still, he said nothing and allowed her eyes to sweep over him as they'd been doing since he entered. She seemed strangely aggressive today, but not in her normal sense. She was controlling her words, her actions and expressions. He could see it every time she spoke. She hesitated, thought it out. Her eyes never stayed in one place too long, but were compellingly concentrated. It was unbelievably sexy.

"If I didn't know any better," he whispered. "I'd think you were checking me out."

She shrugged. "I guess."

He felt his eyes nearly bulge out of his head. "Excuse me?"

"What?" She leaned against the wall lazily. "I figure I sort of have the right, huh? I mean…. that's how this works, right?"

"Uhh… I guess but… you were pretty against all this yesterday and now I'm standing in your shower… with you… naked."

He stared.

"Yeah, I know." She sighed and began fiddling with her fingers. "I think I'm going to go with it for now."

Again, his eyes were threatening to leave him. "Okay… what happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"You were all, ignore Jacob until he goes away… I'm going to pretend this didn't happen… and now you're agreeing with it?"

"Whatever, Jacob." She rolled her eyes and turned to reach for her shampoo. "I really see no other way to deal with it. I don't like being with you, but I don't like being without you either. I figure if I try one, I'll be able to gauge the other. Trial and error sort of thing."

He gaped. "Right… and what changed your mind?"

She shrugged. "Just thought about it, I guess. I just don't think it's normal….any of it."

He paused briefly as her words registered in his head. He couldn't help what left him next. "Yeah, well… we see how normal worked out for you last time."

She turned on him. "What the fuck does _that _mean?" The shampoo bottle was returned to it's position on the side of the tub. "Are you talking about Sam?" She didn't let him answer. "You don't know a _damn_ thing about me and Sam before all of this… this… - SHIT happened!"

He crossed his arms and leaned against the shower, not a single ounce of apology produced in his expression. She waited for it anyway, and he knew what she wanted.

"I'm not apologizing to you," he said simply. "It's the truth, and you know it."

"How does this have anything to do with me and Sam? How does any kind of normalcy apply to what we ha-"

"Shut up," he groaned, throwing his head back. "Don't start this shit. You always do this when I bring him up. You defend the relationship you had with him, and then attack him as soon as he's brought up outside of it. You can say what you want, but what you and Sam had was pretty normal at first. Everything in your life was. Then, he phased, imprinted, and left you. Seth phased. You phased. Your dad died. Everything _normal _in your life always erupts and explodes into something drastically fucked up. Why not just take something that's already as fucked as it can get, and be happy with it?"

Her mouth hung open as water began to pool just below her tongue. Her eyes were wide and filled with unexpressed anger. He was an asshole. Plain and simple. She could feel her hands shaking and the urge to smack that arrogant grin off his face was becoming uncomfortably strong even as she took the proper measures to control it. She couldn't believe what he'd said, any of it. She couldn't really even understand why it made her so angry. Because he was right? Because her life really was like a ticking time bomb when anything relatively easy or normal was placed within it. Just look at Jacob. Her relationship with him had been comfortable, easy. And now it's… this.

"Get out," she huffed. "Get out of my shower, and out of my house. I don't want to see you today."

He rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Lee. I'm not going to play that game. I'm not going to come and go as _you _please. Whenever your not feeling so moody or insane, you have me over… then as soon as you start getting 'uncomfortable' with our situation, you send me off again. It's not going to work that way."

"It worked with Bella," she spat. "Why not me? M'I not as good as her? Cant always have my way?"

Her sarcasm was sharp, and had he not been so determined, it may have cut him the slightest bit. "You're right, I did flounce around her like some sick ass puppy dog… but I learned my lesson. Thanks to you. Don't try and change the subject, and don't try to turn this into a fucking assault. I'm not here to insult you or embarrass you or make jabs at the things I know will hurt you the most. I'm here because I wanna be with you, I've told you that."

"Right, and I just take your word for it." She took a step forward.

He met her half way, his head dipping level with hers. "How many times do I have to go through this? How long am I going to have to spend trying to convince you?"

"Does it matter?"

"No," he whispered. "You know I'm not going to go anywhere….and you cant make me. No matter what you say. No matter how many times you hit me, insult me, tease me. You're stuck with me, babe."

His fingers barely touched her as he moved them up her thighs to her hips, around to the small of her back. She closed her eyes. His nose grazed slowly over her cheek, his lips brushing against hers until their foreheads met. She wanted to fight him. She wanted to shove him away and tell him he was an idiot for thinking that she'd ever agree to something so fucking crazy. But he was right, in a way, about them. They were already as out there as anything else in their lives. Not many things could go wrong with something so _not_-right. She sighed, and felt herself leaning into him. It was infuriating how comforting he was, everything about him. His lips were right there, so close to hers, and she felt her will slowly slipping away. Her hands gripped his sides tightly and she savored the feel of his skin. She'd missed it. Although it was just yesterday when she'd seen him last, it had been a long night. A long morning. She kept her eyes closed, and traced him, all of him. His shirt was in the way, so she lifted it over his head. Her fingers traced his stomach, those glorious abs. The moved up to his chest, those deliciously savor-some pecs. They found his shoulders; strong, stable. They gripped his biceps; Christ, those biceps. They reached his hands, and she froze. He was watching her, every movement. As soon as she stopped, he picked it up. He twined his fingers through hers, ignoring her feeble protests, and closed any remaining distance. She was trying, he could see it. She was trying to enjoy it, trying to relax into it. But was trying so hard to fight it all at the same time. Leah wasn't easy to read, but he'd been graciously gifted with knowing her, _really_ knowing her. Even before it happened, even before she was technically dubbed _'his'_, he knew her. All of her pains, all of her hurt. All of her many strengths and her few weaknesses. What made her smile, what made her cry. All the things she loved, and all the things she hated. Her favorite foods for every meal, her least favorite. What she did when she was bored, and what she did to get rid of it. Her favorite music, her favorite movies. If someone gave him a quiz on her, he knew she'd be immensely surprised. Because despite their rocky relationship, their borderline sociopathic personalities, all of their unbelievably horrifying flaws and tendencies; they were perfectly fitted. Like puzzle pieces to a mad man's puzzle. A broken ying, to a broken yang.

He smiled.

"I hate you," she whispered. "I hate what you do to me."

He hugged her, nuzzled her neck. "I know," he breathed. "I can tell."

She pulled back and looked at him, _really_ looked at him. "I hate you so much… but I don't want you to go."

"It's your call, Clearwater. I'm not going to force anything on you, but I'm not willing to play games anymore. It's one or the other. You want me to stay, or you want me to go."

She frowned. "Ultimatums?"

He shook his head and smiled. "Options."

Her mind was boggled, a complete wreck. Jacob saw her getting flustered, getting frustrated with him and again with the situation. But he wasn't backing down this time. They were holed up in a shower, soaking wet. If she tried to run, she'd either have to take time to find her clothes, or take off naked. The latter was out of the question, so he knew he'd have time to stop her or talk to her. There wouldn't be another opportunity like this. As fucked up as it was.

"You're miserably annoying," she huffed.

He grinned. "And you're intoxicating."

Her forehead was suddenly rested against his chest, her hands placed absently on his stomach. His chest lurched at the thought of a victory of some sort, some kind of lead he was gaining in this aberrant relationship they were forming. But there was still doubt, he could feel it.

"You used to trust me," he said quietly. "You used to depend on me somewhat, when you were hurting or tired." He smiled, almost sadly. "What changed so much that you have to fight me like this? If anything, I would think that you could be at least a little comfortable with… - with it being me."

There was a strange pang in his tone, something she wasn't used to hearing. She'd heard it before, what seems like forever ago now. It was a cocktail for despair, and she knew it very well. A pinch of defeat, a teaspoon of bitterness and about a gallon of sadness to make the perfect mix for a conversation altering statement. She knew the tactic, she knew the strength it took to fake it and she knew that he wasn't. Still, she hated that it worked so well. The tiny bit of vulnerability that he's laid out and allowed to hang in the air between them, leaves her no choice. They both know it. It's a silent question to provide him with an answer he wants, maybe needs, and because of how she 'secretly' feels, she wont deny it. She cant.

"I..-"

She begins to answer, still nuzzled safely in his chest and away from his eyes, but loses her witty counter almost as quickly as she'd found it. With words, she'd lie. She would defend her position with no care to how much it would hurt them later. She would put a strong hold between them and swear that she doesn't care. She doesn't want it, she doesn't need it. She feels nothing that he does and she wants him to leave. It's simple enough, until he does what she says. She'll feel confident and strong and try to convince herself that it was the right thing. But, of course, it's not. It never is. Just like every time she's blamed Seth for something she forgot, or Jacob for something that Sam did, or Embry for something that Paul said; she would regret it later. It would be secret, and never heard of again, but she would regret it once she was alone and away from their potent stares. There would be guilt and regret, and she wouldn't be able to escape it. Morning would come, and she'd continue on like nothing happened. But it was always there, despite her greatest efforts to rid herself of it.

With a surge of determination to trounce those fowl verbalizations and get her point across with some kind of feeling, something to express her emotions, she kisses him. Her head moves slowly from his chest, and her lips make a direct line to his mouth. It takes him by surprise, she can feel it in his hesitation, but she continues. It's slow, and it's patient, and she's confident that he understands. His hands move to her cheeks, his fingers brushing away wet strands of hair.

She smiles.

"Why cant you just say it?" He asks lightly. "Why cant you just say, 'you know what Jacob? I may actually like you a little, I think we could work out okay.' Is it really that difficult?"

She nuzzles his cheek, feeling notably more comfortable now that physicality is involved. "I would if we were in wolf form. It would be easier."

"Let's go phase," he says with a slight chuckle. "Because I would like to understand exactly what it is you want."

She shakes her head shortly, her lips trailing small kisses across his jaw. Kisses to his earlobe, a swift nip, kisses down his neck, to his shoulder. He shivers. "Leah.."

There's hesitation, but she ignores it. She forgot how good he tasted. How illegitimately delicious his skin felt on her, all over her. The water is suddenly freezing cold and she's reminded of where they are and how long they've been there. She's surprised the hot water has lasted this long. Her fingers fumble to the knobs as she reconnects with his lips, his tongue just as amazing as she remembered it. _This_ is what she's been missing. The silence is perfect, and every move she makes speaks volumes to him without her ever having to say a word. This is where she's comfortable. She turns from him and shoves the curtains aside, thanking anything there is to thank that he's on board now. His hands grip her waist when she tries to move away, his mouth devouring every inch of open skin he can reach.

"Let's go to my room," she whispers. "Seth will be up here soon…. Apparently this is _his_ bathroom."

He hears the smile in her voice and feels as if he'll literally jump for joy. It's all he wanted, really. To make her happy. Although the fact that she's still so damn closed off reminds him that they really haven't solved anything with their little shower talk, but she's happy. He cant deny her that.

Leah's room is dark, likely from the lack of sunlight and failure to hit the light on the way in. But it's comfortable. His first thought once he left the bathroom was that once they were in, it would be awkward. There would be that odd, standing around and waiting sort of deal with neither of them making a move. Instead, his subconscious is raving and he's already flung her onto the bed beneath him. He's quite thankful that with her, his mind is of no use. He tastes her everywhere, her scent is all over him, every pheromone she's releasing finds it's way directly into his brain. It's seemingly impossible, to want someone so much. He's mildly aware of her hand working his shaft, of her tongue and teeth grazing his ear. He tries to play along, to run with the foreplay, but it's just not enough. His stomach is clenching and unclenching every time he feels the heat between her legs, like a contact reaction he cant get enough of. His eyes find his mark, his claim, and he can almost feel himself implode. He lifts his head, finds her eyes, and removes her hand. He sits for just a moment, reminding himself of his whereabouts, of the situation, and forces himself to relax. She's gripping him, grinding against him, obviously less able to contain herself. She's already moaning, already begging him. Her fingers are in his hair, pulling painfully at his short crop. He barely feels it. Her eyes keep his and he swears he can read them like instructions. He feels it, just as strong as his. It's a release just to be with her, near her, around her. It's even more to be close, to touch, to feel her. Her breath is like fire. Her lips are like a drug.

There's no more waiting. He shoves her legs farther apart and thrusts into her, greeted by a heavy layer of her juices that he can smell even above their breathing and forming sweat. They shouldn't be this hot. It's not natural, not even for them. There's not another comprehendible thought. Nothing registers. Nothing but her. Her heart is pounding in his ears. There's no other noises, nothing else is there. He's lost and cant remember a time when he'd wished he never had to find his way back. Trapped beneath him, her hips shoving themselves against his every time he plunges back into her, she's ready to scream. His hands grip her wrists hard enough to bruise, every thrust jarring her body. Still, it's not enough. He's filled her completely, and ever stroke is like ecstasy, and she still cant get enough. His lips are on her neck, his tongue is tracing his claim, and she knows she's screaming now. She cant hear herself, not over his heartbeat, but she knows. Everything heightens suddenly and she can feel her stomach beginning to curl, the lower half of her body burning so fiercely she's unsure of how much more she can take. His tongue is still there, circling his teeth marks, and she knows it's coming. He's going to go with her. His pace quickens and one hand is gripping her thigh, pulling her leg higher around his back. Reality is slowly coming back, she can hear it. His breathing is rapid, just like hers. She can hear the sound of their bodies clapping together, her cries and yelps and moans reverberating through her room. Her arms are around his neck, pulling him closer. She cant grip him tight enough, she cant yell loud enough, nothing can express it. Nothing can come close to it. He pushes again and again and with one more, she's floating. Her entire body explodes and she can feel every single twitch from then on. Her body is in a state of bliss and her mind is following closely behind. Before she can even feel it building up, it happens all over again as soon as his teeth sink into what he's already made his. There's no warning this time and she can hear every single shout, ever curse, every time she says his name as they both cum and spasm their way into euphoria. As he collapses, she makes no effort to move him.

He doesn't make a sound as her arms carefully snake around his neck. She wraps her legs into his and slowly nuzzles her entire body under him. He only turns his head and buries it in her hair. He breathes her in, and feels his entire body relax even further. There's a calm, a peace. Neither want to disturb it. She could never describe how comfortable she felt there with him, how safe and secure she felt just with him near her. Enveloped beneath him, though, there was nothing else that mattered. She felt it, then. What he'd been talking about. Rather implying, really. The warmth, the strength. She could stay there forever, and would have, had they not heard the chaos breaking out downstairs.

* * *

As he pulled one of Seth's shirts over his head, Jacob continued to remind himself that they were his brothers. He had to remind himself, because at the moment, he wanted to rip every one of them apart. Billy had told him it would be difficult. Difficult to be around them once he and Leah had been together, difficult to accept them spending time with her away from him. But he _did_ warn him that the most difficult, would be standing in a room with all of them together. Jacob had thought him dramatic, too precautious. An over protective father. - He was wrong. The moment their voices flooded his head, his entire body was in overdrive. He wanted to phase on the spot. He was still shaking, still working ten times harder than usual to keep his wolf dormant. To remain in control. It was becoming more difficult the closer he got to them. Leah was standing in front of her door, staring down the steps to where the ruckus was taking place. They were shouting, cursing. She turned to him as he approached, a very nervous and very uncharacteristic look about her.

"I'm going to take care of it," he assured. "Nobody has to know anything. I'll tell them whatever you want me to."

She scoffed. "After _that_," she motioned to her room. "I think they all know."

He brushed his fingers through her hair softly, watching with amusement as her eyes closed as soon as she felt him. "I'll take care of it," he repeated.

Jacob kissed her once on the forehead before bounding down the steps. He heard her following, but paid her no mind. His full concentration had to be on them….on _not_ killing them. It seemed the most important thing at the moment. He gripped the bottom rail as he rounded the steps to the living room and stopped abruptly once he caught sight of them. They were all angry, all heaving. Seth was in the middle, his eyes wide and fully dilated. He was clearly on the verge of phasing. Jacob couldn't see the other person until he pushed past Quil.

Sam.

Words escaped him. Thoughts refused him. Logic and reason laughed at him. He suddenly prayed that Sam wouldn't speak. He didn't want to know what they were arguing about anymore. He felt his body begin to convulse, completely against his will. He didn't feel like he could stop it, not this time.

"Jake…" Her voice. "Jacob breathe."

Her hand held his arm firmly, her other on his, her thumb rubbing his knuckles gently. He felt Embry to his right, Quil on the other side of her. Seth was near. As long as Sam didn't talk. As long as Sam didn't…

"You had no right, Black!" Sam spat angrily. "This whole situation is a mix up and it's time we fix it. Retract your claim!"

Leah eyed Sam, disbelieving. "Sam, please…"

She could feel him shaking, his entire body. It wasn't him and she knew that, it wasn't his fault entirely. This whole 'heat' business had gotten way out of control. There were too many members and one too many Alphas. There were two different packs in a room with one female. Two Alphas with the same mission. Too bad for Sam, Leah didn't want him. She made her choice, and she was holding steady. She wanted to knock his head off for demanding her, for demanding that Jacob give her away like a piece of property. She wanted to phase and let him know exactly what she thought of him. Teeth, claws and all. But she wouldn't, because she had what she wanted. She wouldn't because she was finished fighting with him. She wouldn't because she had a newfound patience and was holding tightly to it. Too bad for Sam…. Jacob wasn't as tolerant.

**

* * *

**

**a/n. Okay so I know it's been FOREVER. Forgive me. T-T No more of this I promise. It was this chapter, this scene… it was so hard. I literally have 10 other documents titled 'Heat Activated, ch. 6' in my fanfic folder. I couldn't decide how I wanted it to go and I'm honestly blaming this story for my writers block in every other fic I'm writing. I feel better now that I've got this worked out. Hopefully it doesn't happen again. **

**Hope you guys enjoyed it. Not going with the original plan here, but I still have one so YAY ME! Lmao. **

**Leave me some reviews and let me know what you think! Thanks to all you still following this. Hearts, bitches!**


	7. Take It All Back

**Heat Activated**

**By:Cucumber07**

**Chapter 7- Take It All Back**

Sam's face is red and puffy, his body shaking and his hands clenched. Leah feels Jacob's palm press against her stomach and can feel herself slip. She's no longer concerned about Sam, about what's going to happen. Her eyelids are heavy now, her mind fogged. Her thoughts wander to earlier and she can feel herself leaning into his side, her lips curling into a small smirk. She takes a deep breath, breathing in everything that's just _Jacob. _His hand slides around to her waist and he's pulling her to him.

Sam growls. "You know this isn't going to work out."

"Why does it matter to you? To anyone, really? It's our business and we'll deal with it however we see fit."

"It doesn't work that way Jacob and you know it. Why don't you _want _to retract it? She hasn't returned it, she's _fighting _it! You cant honestly want to keep a mate that doesn't _want _you."

Jacob's chest lets out a low rumble before, "Sam…. Just stop."

"What am I fucking with your delusion? She doesn't want you. She didn't before her heat, and she doesn't even with the pull of a mated Alpha. So retract your claim and let her be with who she wants."

She's been listening to the exchange, half in and half out of her comfortable daze by his side. The entire conversation had been a little fuzzy, a little muffled, but Sam's insinuation came in loud and clear. The arrogance and assumption that she may still be pining over him made her sick to her stomach, and less than willing to allow Jacob to even _think_ about complying.

"And you think I'd want you?" She asks suddenly, bringing all eyes back to her. "You want him to retract his claim because you think that I would rather be with you!"

She can feel the frustration quickly shifting to anger the longer she mulls over the idea that he could be so sure about her feelings. Her mind is whirling around all the times he's apologized, all the times he's told her that there's nothing he can do about his imprint. She's taken back to how many times she's had to endure cookouts at _his_ home with _his_ soul mate, the two of them so nauseatingly 'in love' that it was all she could do not to kill them both. Now here he is, no questions asked, no time taken to talk, trying to make her his again. He wants her, even though he has an imprint. And it occurs to her that it may not even be about her, but about Jacob not having her. His jealousy is sparked from his own selfish desire to have everything for himself. It's enough to end whatever calm she'd had.

"You think that if you'd have been around….that I'd have chosen _you_?"

Sam flinches slightly as her voice continues to raise with every syllable, but continues with his temper tantrum. "I _know_ you would have. You love me, Leah. You always have. It's always been me and you."

Leah can feel Jacob tense and can _feel_ his temper being reeled in and out the longer this little standoff goes on. Thinking about the welfare of her home, and her pack, she takes a deep breath and tries her best to pretend Jacob isn't standing right behind her. _Take one for the team_.

"Sam," she begins, a little unsure. "I'm going to say this once, so anyone that's confused, listen very closely. This whole thing is fucked up, confusing… I don't know. The fact of the matter is, it happened. I-"

"You don't know what you want! You cant sleep with one wolf and think that he's your mate. You should have-"

"Sam," she interrupts. "Let me finish."

The room has fallen silent and much to her dismay, she can feel Jacob's anxiety growing as she moves forward. They haven't even really talked about this yet. Not completely. She swallows the lump in her throat and lifts her chin. "I really don't care how anyone feels about all of this. We're…. - _mated_… and that's all there is to it. No I may not have accepted it fully but I'm not fighting it either. I don't have to explain my reasons for waiting to any of you. Especially not _you_," she spits, poking a finger at Sam. "Now, with that being said, you can leave now."

Sam is shaking his head now, his anger shifting back and forth from one mate to the other. She's calling him out. She's making a fool out of him in front of both packs. But Jacob's claim on her is threatening to take her away from him forever. It's slowly turning into a tug of war and his fury seems to target the one standing closest to him. She can hear it before even Sam acknowledges it, the shifting of his body. Jacob's hand snags her upper arm and gently pushes her to Seth who has realized what's happening. A shrill voice threatens to pierce the haze suddenly covering his mind and momentarily averts his attention from Sam who has phased and destroyed most of the Clearwater's living room.

"Jacob Black!" Sue screams, staring wide eyed at the still human Alpha. "What the hell is going on!"

Jared and Paul latch to each side of Sam's now enormous body and attempt to restrain him, to little avail. As Sue watches on in horror, the two are drug across the living space and into everything in their way. The table is shattered and broken into small pieces, frames are being knocked from the wall, the T.V. is busted and Seth's Xbox is taken with it. The controller cords wrap around Sam's paws and the two men and wolf are taken to the ground in a now bloody attempt to keep him subdued.

"Sue," Jacob starts… but is stopped short as Sam begins to regain his feet.

The group has shifted and are standing between Sue and the large black wolf, the other 'Alpha', and Leah finds herself still at Jacob's side holding tightly to his wrist. Sue moves behind Seth as the struggle begins again and Jacob's head begins to pound as he flows in and out of two frames of mind. He can feel her at his side, her grip a little tighter than necessary considering he's in no way instigating the fight.

"Jacob don't you phase!" Sue orders. "Someone try to help Jared and Paul."

Embry and Quil take a step forward before they realize Paul is lodged into the drywall and Jared being rammed into the staircase. As Sam is still violently driving his head into Jared's stomach, Seth attempts to slink around and help Paul up and out of the wall. He's crouched, almost crawling along the molding and in the midst of all the god awful noises erupting from the other side of the room, his shoe crunching a piece of glass is enough to snap the zone Sam has been caught up in. The second between everything that happens next seems to drag on for minutes when Leah realizes where Sam is headed and her body immediately moves for her brother without a second thought. Her only intention is to drag him out of the way but she can feel his attention shift to her and now she's the threat. A few things run through her mind in this mile long second but overall she's braced herself for the impact… only it never comes.

She hears clothes shredding and bodies are cracking and her eyes catch a glimpse of the black shift at the last second and dart in the other direction. Her head snaps up along with Seth and Paul's and suddenly the entire front of the house is shoved off it's foundation with two blobs of black and russet, grey chasing them through the gaping hole. Their eyes are wide, their chests are heaving. The downstairs living area is torn from top to bottom, nobody can see the full extent of the damage through the rubble that remains. Sue's hand flies to her mouth and, breaking herself from her daze, she crosses the space and kneels beside Leah and Seth.

"What the fuck just happened?" Paul groans, still wedged in the wall, powdered in white.

"This is exactly what I warned you all about," Sue hisses, gripping Paul's chin and turning his face from side to side. "Nobody listens though, do they? I thought I told you to keep him away until everything was settled?"

His response is barely a murmur in Leah's ear as her attention is pulled in the opposite direction. The rest of the pack have all gone out to break up the fight and surprisingly, she feels absolutely no desire to go help them. She's sure they're at least a hundred yards away by now but she can still feel everything. His thoughts are pulsing through her head and her body is close to shaking with the onslaught of different emotions and the prominent amount of pain now strangling her. Her vision is clouded and she feels herself getting quite irritated with this new 'connection'. She stands abruptly and begins wading her way through the wreckage to the barely standing stair case.

"Leah where are you going?" Seth asks while standing.

"I'm going to my room. Call me when all this is fixed."

"Leah, aren't you gonna -"

"I've had enough bullshit for today, thank you. I'll be upstairs if anyone needs me."

The next week flies by without pause and, despite the rather efficient cleanup downstairs, Leah is far from satisfied. Sue has hired a remodeling crew and the house is looking better than it did the first time around, better molding, better designs. She's never really cared about any of it but she cant deny that it looks like a completely different house. Her eyes lift from the kitchen table and land on the several construction workers moving around the living room. It irritates her beyond belief that she cant even appreciate them. Of course they're good looking, and obviously find her amusing given the last few days of their shared space; but she cant force herself to so much as flirt. It all comes back down to this stupid mating game she and Jacob are wrapped up in and as soon as his name enters her mind she feels as if she should be seeing red. Nearly seven days, and not a word from him. He hasn't come by, hasn't called, hasn't texted or even told Seth to give her a message for him. Although at first she saw it as a blessing in disguise, the last few days have been especially difficult to digest. All this talk of refusing his claim and Sam suddenly wanting to move in on her has taken it's toll and her frustrations are so erratic and unevenly spaced that she's unsure of which is more infuriating. Jacob swore up and down that he had feelings for her before all of this happened, their shower talk having possibly swayed her the slightest bit, but with his absence, the doubt has slowly settled back in.

"Well, Miss Clearwater, we're finished for the day."

One of the men's voices carries through her now potent anger and she gives the most convincing nod she can muster up without phasing in front of the poor man. The thought that, after all that talk, he has the audacity to avoid her is enough to make her blood boil and, to her greatest dismay, is actually a little hurtful. … A lot hurtful, depending on who's asking. She glances to the clock on the stove and growls at the bright, 8:30. She wont be able to sleep for another few hours thanks to her lack of activity other than patrols and maybe dinner a few nights during the past week, Sue is working, and Seth is still MIA. _Again_. She pulls her cell from the pocket of her shorts and flips it open, her fingers immediately finding Seth's name amongst her contacts. She presses the send button and watches it for a moment before putting it to her ear, almost dropping dead of shock when she hears the call being forwarded. Not missed, forwarded. He's ignoring her. _What the fuck?_

She calls him again….forwarded.

And again… "Yeah?"

It takes a second for her to process that he actually answered and as soon as the initial shock wears off comes, "what the fuck is your problem?"

"Leah, what are you-"

"You've been ignoring my calls!"

He sighs. "I'm playing a game. I would have called you back."

"Where the hell are you?"

Silence.

"Seth!"

"I'm at Jacob's."

There's a brief moment when she really cant think of anything to say, a way to react. How is she supposed to react? Jacob is obviously well enough to fuck around with her little brother, but still hasn't come by, even called. That unwanted pang of hurt washes back over her for a second and she finds herself fiddling, yes _fiddling_, with the crumbs on her plate with her free hand.

"Oh."

"Look, Lee, I'll be home in a little while. Mom knows." He waits for her answer and she can hear him sigh when she doesn't. "Was there something you needed?"

"What I cant call to check up on my little brother?" She tries to sound playful, indifferent, but it's unconvincing even to her when it comes out. "I'm allowed to do that, remember?"

"Uhh, you haven't all week. So the thought really didn't cross my mind when I saw your name pop up."

And then there's the guilt. The result of trying to avoid the situation she's been placed in, has lead to her avoiding everyone and most everything. She groans and leans back in her chair.

"It's cool, Lee. Not a big deal. I'll see you later on."

When the call is ended and she's again left in the silence of her now empty home, she cant force herself to not care. She cant convince herself that she's better off without him and anything involving a relationship. So, after a short battle involving herself and a hair bow, she's out the door and halfway to Jacob's house before she's even sure about what she's doing. The weather is disgusting and it does nothing to calm her suddenly reeling nerves. The fog and drizzle are clinging to her skin and hair, everything from her head to toes now sticky feeling and uncomfortable. Her bare feet plow through the large puddles accumulated on the sidewalks and, eventually, are covered in mud from the dirt path leading to the Black's door. She can hear them inside, or rather the T.V., and she takes a moment once on the front porch to breathe. She can feel him just as prominently as she could a week before when he was fighting with Sam. He's…_angry_, of all things. What right does he have, anyway? She opens the door and neither of the two move from their places on the couch, neither even look her way. They continue playing their game silently, without any sort of obvious emotion. She slams the door and feels herself getting even more irritated when the only acknowledgement she gets is Seth's inclined chin and the raise of his brows. She moves to stand behind the couch, looking down at them, and clears her throat.

"What? No hello?" She quips, swiping Seth on the back of the head.

"Hi, Leah."

She frowns. "Nice to see you Seth. I almost forgot what you looked like…. And hello to you too, Jake."

He doesn't answer her.

"I thought you just called to check on me?" Seth asks quietly, his eyes still glued to the game. "I see you decided you needed something after all?"

"No, I was just bored. The construction guys left and mom is working overtime today. Not that I'm finding being here any better, you two are about as interesting as a two by four."

Seth shrugs. "Sorry."

The silence settles back in and stretches on for way too long and Leah finally lets out a long breath, defeated. "Alright, what's up?"

"What do you mean?"

It's Seth who speaks again but she doesn't look at him. She wasn't talking to him, really. Not that she's not curious about his attitude as well. "Jacob.." she says his name and, again, gets no response.

She slaps his shoulder lightly. "So, what? You just gonna ignore me till' I leave?"

"I'm not ignoring you. What exactly am I supposed to say? Hey, Leah. How's it going, Leah? How are you doing, Leah? What can I do for you today, Leah?… Sorry, doesn't seem all that appropriate."

"Well… that _is_ what normal people tend to say to someone coming to visit them."

He scoffs. "I'm not normal and you're not here to visit me."

"Says who?"

"You don't have to say it."

She rolls her eyes exaggeratedly and gives a short growl. "What is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem."

"You haven't so much as sent me a text message since the whole Sam fiasco.."

He stops playing then and turns to her, only long enough to say, "don't say his name here." Then his attention is back on the game, his shoulders again relaxed and face indifferent. "And I don't recall you calling or anything either so what's the problem?"

She hates how much it stings to hear him insinuate that he doesn't care, that it's not a big deal. As if he's forgotten about their situation, about the things he said, the things they did. It shouldn't bother her so much, not by any means, but it comes without permission. She's been contemplating how to approach him for a few days, contemplating how to have this conversation. But now that she's here, she doesn't have the energy to get angry. He's pissed enough for both of them, which in itself is still a mystery to her.

"I thought that we -"

"Yeah, me too. But I guess we were both wrong."

His voice is harsh and she cant help but flinch. Since when is _he_ the snappy one? "You wanna let me in on why you're so pissed off? You forget, Jacob, I can feel it."

And with that, the atmosphere shifts and Seth is standing to leave the room. The game is paused and Jacob's controller is abruptly slung across the space between the couch and T.V. and he's standing in front of her now, uncomfortably serious. "I still think about you day in and day out, I still cant manage to get through an hour without wondering where you are and what you're doing. If you're happy, if you're safe. I still hate how much I want you even though you've made it _very_ clear that you want anything but this." He points back and forth between them sharply, his entire body So, no Leah, I haven't forgotten."

"So what's the problem then? I figured you'd come by after everything and you didn't. I hope you didn't expect me to come chasing after you when you fail to show up for a few days."

"Right, silly me for thinking that you'd care enough to come check on me."

She rolls her eyes. "Oh c'mon! Don't be so dramatic! Excuse me for being a little shaken up by all this shit…. and then Sam and then my house and then you not coming back… what was I supposed to think?"

He stares at her and she notes how empty it is, how void of anything but anger he seems to be. She hates how much it bothers her. Not the look, but where it's directed. He's never looked at her like this. She's suddenly wondering how they got to this point, when everything changed so much. Can she honestly blame the heat? The claim? Or the events afterwards?

"You know what, Leah?" His fingers close around the bridge of his nose and he pinches so hard his fingernails turn white. His breath leaves him in a defeated gust and his shoulders slump, every action turning her stomach a little more. "Just forget it. All of it. Forget we ever slept together, forget I ever 'claimed you', forget everything I said and whatever else you apparently just cant cope with. I'm just your alpha and your just my beta."

She can feel how wide her eyes have gotten but just cant seem to bring them back to normal. One hand has grabbed hold of the couch for support and she can feel her heart thumping abnormally fast and her breaths seem to have stopped altogether. Coming here hadn't involved this. Despite what she continuously tries to convince herself of, this isn't what she wants. She doesn't want him to give up. She doesn't want him to let her have her way. She doesn't want him to leave her alone.

"What happened to you not going anywhere?" She protests feebly, her eyes glued to his face.

"Yeah, well, you cant force someone into something they don't want. I've learned that the hard way. You've made it pretty clear so… I'll just save us both the trouble and get it over with now."

Looking at him, his eyes refusing to meet her in any way, she finds herself in a losing battle. A part of her wants to let it go, do what he says and forget it ever happened. And then there's the other part… - "What is all this about, anyway? You keep saying I've made it all so clear but, if I remember correctly, the last time we were together we came to some sort of…..of … -"

"Some kind of what, Leah?" He pushes, still keeping his attention elsewhere. "You keep saying one thing, doing another, and then you give the slightest bit and I think _maybe_ you've gotten a handle on what you want and how you feel… then…" He pauses and closes his eyes for a moment, hating how this conversation has turned out. He was so intent on just ending all of it, for both their sakes, but her awkward, uncertain eyes just wont let him be. "You couldn't even call? You didn't even bother asking _why_ I didn't come back. I mean, c'mon Leah if you cared at least a _tiny_ bit you could have picked up your fucking cell phone and hit a few buttons."

Her brows furrow. "Your mad because I didn't call? Seriously?"

"No! I'm not mad because you didn't call me, Christ, are you really that thoughtless? Me and Sam tore each other to pieces before anyone could even _find_ us and I wake up three days later to find an empty room and blank call list. I didn't call you or text you because I couldn't for the first half of the week. I was tired and hurt and once I realized that you couldn't bother yourself enough to even check on me, after getting in a fight over _you_, I didn't much feel like talking."

Silence.

"That's what I thought," he mumbled. "I gatta go run patrols. I'll see you later."

She makes an attempt at opening her mouth only to find her jaws figuratively wired shut. Her eyes follow his back to the door and watch as he hesitates, the tension in his muscles nearly palpable. He sighs and presses a palm to the door, his head shaking slightly as he tries to force the words away from his mouth.

"I'm tired of chasing you," he whispers into the door. "I've told you that I care about you. I've told you that I want to be with you. I've showed you. What else is there? What else can I possibly do? I tell you that I'm not going anywhere and then you just find another way of pushing me out. I love you, Leah, I do. But I'm not going to keep fighting with you over this. This isn't a T.V. remote or bowl of cereal. I'm tired of trying so hard and just getting slapped in the damn face. I open up to you on levels that I'm embarrassed to admit to, say things that make me cringe even though I mean them. If you don't want this, I'm not going to try and force you into it. I'm done. I take it all back, the claim, everything."

The door closes behind him and she releases a loud breath. Her hand immediately moves to her neck and she can feel the skin healing beneath her fingers, the constant tingle she's felt there disappearing along with the mark. She moves around to the other side of the couch and sinks into the cushions, the silence only adding to the pressure in her temples. No, this isn't what she wanted. But even as she sits on his couch, in his house, thinking of everything he said, she cant find the strength to get up and do something. Doing something would mean saying something, and words haven't been her strong point in times past. Five minutes ago being her latest lapse in vocalization. Seth moves to sit beside her and she doesn't dare look at him. She's sure he heard.

"Ya know, to talk so much, you sure do choose the lamest times to keep quiet."

She scoffs. "Lamest?"

"Yes, Leah, that was lame," he says with an unnatural seriousness. "Go talk to him before you fuck it all up. I don't wanna have to deal with an evil-Leah reincarnate. Ughhh and your heats will come back."

His head slams against the back of the couch and her hand is slapping him across his chest while she stands to leave. "Not much I can do now," she says quietly. "He's made his decision."

"Yeah because you cant even tell him that you want to be with him," Seth snaps, turning to look at her. "God, Leah. Is a little reassurance too much to ask?"

"Since when do you know anything about this stuff?"

"Since I made the mistake of asking Jacob what was up with his mopey attitude."

She doesn't turn around to hear the rest of what he has to say. Figuring this mess out doesn't seem plausible at the moment, but the guilt now plaguing her entire body is enough incentive to get her walking up the nearest path to the nearest cliff. She thought that once the claim was gone that she could forget about all of it, like he'd suggested. The feelings would leave her and so would the desire to fix everything between them. Unfortunately, Jacob was the only thing on her mind, and she finds that her feelings may have been a little deeper than she thought.

* * *

**a/n. I know, it's been forever. Laptop crashed, lost all my work. Blah, blah. It sucked ass. Nothing too much in this chapter, there will only be one or two after this one…. Sooooo…. Hopefully I'll have those out fairly quick. All my other updates should be coming out in the next few days. Thanks for reading and puh-leasseeee leave me reviews. :D**


	8. Say

**Heat Activated**

**By:Cucumber07**

**Chapter 8- Say**

**

* * *

**

_Do you know where your heart is?_

_Do you think you can find it?_

_Did you trade it for something.. Somewhere? _

_Better just to have it?_

_

* * *

_

The air is thick enough to suffocate, trapping his lungs and making him a little more on edge than he should be. These are his brothers, after all, his family. But the events over the past few weeks still linger between them, making things complicated and hard to discuss. Especially with Sam. Now that he's let her go, there are no barriers keeping his former Alpha from trying to claim Leah and he's making it quite obvious that he plans on trying. He's agreed to this meeting because Sue asked it of him, asked him to come and try to clear the air. Of course he gave her fair warning. Leah's scent is changing, turning everyone's stomachs and everything is tense. He doesn't know how heat works, especially in their world. Whether or not taking his claim back retriggered it or not is still up for debate, but they can all sense it's approach. It would only make sense seeing as he disrupted it. She never accepted it and if he's thinking logically, picking up where it left off sounds pretty on-key. The fact that Sam is now showing interest, Embry and Jared both having complications with fighting it now as well, the game has been upped and he's a little nervous as to how this will turn out. Not the meeting par se, but the pack's now very territorial display of affection towards their only female. Sam in particular seems antsy even around his own pack. As if he's watching to be sure they don't make a move. It's silly, seeing as Leah isn't here.

"Thank you all for agreeing to this," Sue says to the gathered packs. "I'd appreciate it if we all kept level heads. No fighting."

Embry sits down on a log beside where Jacob is standing, Quil and Seth both positioned on his other side. Jared and Paul and Sam are pacing, fidgeting and obviously frustrated but trying to keep their cool. The elders, thinking of their own safety, have placed their chairs on a small ledge overlooking their usual beach-bon-fire site. The fire has been lit and gives off just enough light to illuminate the uneasy set of each wolf's face, the air carrying the distinct flavor of competition.

"Yeah, sure, no problem. Can we get on with this, please? I gatta get indoors."

Paul's words come out in a rush and everyone stares at him with knowing expressions. He wasn't strong enough to fight it off the last time he came into contact with it, and after tasting it, was sure he wouldn't be able to this time around. Jacob suddenly wonders if he's told them about he and Jacob's little tag-team effort. Not that Jacob is willing to discuss it. He wishes he didn't even have to remember it. Embry shifts slightly in his seat, trying to breathe only through his mouth. It doesn't help that every fiber of his being is screaming at him to inhale it. Savor it. Claim it.

"Right, sorry," Sue offers almost sheepishly. "I'd like to apologize for putting you all through this, but after what happened to my house after your last… 'meeting', I decided it best to keep away from everything breakable." Nods, grunts, and she sighs. "I just want to make it very clear that the rules are still very much in tact. What happened last time was a miscommunication. I don't want it happening again. Stay away from our house until we give the clear. Are we understood?"

Again, nods and a few grunts of acknowledgement, but no verbal reply. "I guess that's it… I figured you would have something to throw in but I guess we're all good here. Go ahead, get going."

Embry and Quil immediately leap from their seats and turn for home when they hear a small, pained laugh. They turn and Sam is doubled over, his hands on his knees, eyes on Jacob. Embry groans. "Sam… can we not! This is hell for all of us, let's just go home."

He scoffs, but pays them no mind. "So, Jacob…. I guess things didn't quite work out?"

"Whatever, Sam." Jacob rolls his eyes. "I'm not fighting with you over this again."

"Because you have nothing to fight over. You gave it up… tell me, did you do it on your own? Or did she ask you to? Beg you? Force you?"

"Stop it, Sam," Paul snaps. "We don't need this shit!"

"Go home, both of you. Stay there until this is all over."

Jared and Paul both gape at him, the weight of the Alpha Command now weighing in on them and forcing their bodies away from the camp without their permission. Embry's face twists in confusion, watching as his friends leave without another word. Why would he send away the only voices of reason he has left? He's obviously gone off his rocker, you'd think he would want someone to watch over him.

"You gonna answer me?"

Jacob shakes his head. "I told you, I'm not fighting over this."

He turns and Seth follows, Embry and Quil waiting until they're close to continue their walk to the safety of somewhere enclosed. They know he's watching them, the eerie look he's had ever since that day at Leah's burned into their minds. Jacob knows better than to turn around, it'll only look like a challenge. Walking away really isn't any better.

Sam laughs again, louder this time. "That's fine with me. And, Sue, let me apologize in advance for breaking your 'rules'."

He's unsure of whether Sam is telling the truth, or just trying to get a rise out of him. Either way, it's enough to stop him and force him to turn around. "Just go home, Sam. To your _wife_."

"Jacob's right," Sue says, sounding uncharacteristically nervous. "Everyone take the rest of the week off. No patrols… do whatever you want… _away_ from my home, if you would."

Seth, understanding the silent signal Jacob is sending him, moves around to stand between Sam and the woods that will lead him to Leah. He tries to hide his nerves, tries to stop the constant flick of his eyes to Embry and Jacob and Quil, tries to stand up straight and puff his chest out. Like he sees the rest of them doing. He doesn't understand the purpose, of course, but figures it has a good one. It makes _them_ look scary anyway. In fact, watching Sam do it over and over again, more in his direction than anyone else's, makes him wonder why Jacob would ask _him_ to be the only thing standing between Sam and his 'goal'. The goal being his sister which, in every sense, is nauseating on all levels. He shakes his head and watches as Sam kicks sand into the fire casually, his smile coming and going as if warring with his emotions. Thankfully he's not effected by the whole heat ordeal and is suddenly curious as to what Sam has going on in his head. Is he completely out of it? Maybe fading in and out? The thought is squashed as Sam throws the piece of driftwood he's been holding across the beach and lets out a loud growl of frustration.

"I've never had this much trouble before," he admits, looking only to Jacob. "It's like a switch was flipped and now I just cant turn it back off. Her scent caught me off guard yesterday and now I cant seem to fight it."

Jacob grimaces. Taking his claim back was meant to stop the fighting between him and Leah, not start it back up between him and the rest of the pack. Well, packs. Sam had never seemed to have an issue with saying no, even after the fight Jacob figured they'd be able to handle it. Maybe he underestimated how harshly it effected them. And then a thought hits him.

"It's not effecting me," he breathes out.

They stare at him in confusion, Sam's eyes narrowing. "What are you talking about?"

"Her scent," he clarifies. "It's not bothering me."

"That's not possible." Sam scoffs and moves around the fire to stand in front of him. "It's always effected you just as much as the rest of us. Maybe even worse. Why would it suddenly just stop?"

"Maybe because you had her and then retracted it?" Seth ponders aloud, and Jacob cant help but welcome the quick change of subject. Even if it does involve a direct reminder of the fact that she's no longer his. Maybe now she never can be.

_Do you know where your love is?_

_Do you think that you lost it?_

_You felt it so strong but…_

_Nothing's turned out how you want it._

"Yeah… maybe it's a one time thing?" Quil adds.

"That doesn't sound right," Billy interrupts from the ledge. "In a wolf pack any male has the opportunity to claim the female. It's all a matter of who she chooses. The female can sometimes be with three or four of the males before she makes her decision. Not together in our sense but going through the motions. She usually wont breed with a partner until she's selected the mate of her choice."

Breed? Jacob's stomach turns. "Right, I forgot all about that." His face drops slowly, thinking of Leah having Sam's cubs. Or Embry's. Or Paul's. _Christ, anyone but Paul._

"I didn't," Sam says weakly. "It's all I can think about."

"I'll walk home with you." Seth moves to stand beside the other Alpha. "Me and Jake don't have to worry about her scent so we can get you home. Keep your head on right… whaddya say?"

Jacob, trying desperately to expel thoughts of having lost his chance with Leah, offers his best smile. "I'm in."

Sam scowls for a moment longer before his face softens and his head hangs slightly. "Alright."

Jacob watches him for a moment, until his head comes back up and his eyes are again level with Sam's. The lines beside Sam's eyes and around the corners of his mouth are deeper now, probably from the stress of all this heat business. Trying to fight it. Trying to give in to it. A difficult process for anyone, but Jacob knows the extent an Alpha's body will go to get where it wants to be. He's lived it once. Fought it as hard as he could and then lost out to the wolf that has been _dying_ to do exactly what he did ever since Leah phased. Even before the heats began. So, with an understanding expression, he pats Sam on the shoulder and motions for him to turn and head in the direction of he and Emily's home. It's only now that Jacob notices his eyes. Completely black, wide. He stills and notices that everyone else on the beach is frozen to their spots, all nearly shaking and vibrating with anticipation. He hears the footsteps now, catches the scent. Fuck, he forgot how delicious that scent is up close.

"Sue?" He yells carefully, his eyes traveling to the elder woman. "What the fuck?"

"I don't know.. I left a message but.."

Her words die out as the steps near him, the warm body now only inches away. His eyes close for a second, his instincts and senses savoring the overpowering presence of her standing so close behind him.

"Leah what the hell are you doing," Seth hisses. "Get out of here!"

Jacob's muscles are twitching and he can feel himself getting ready to implode. Maybe her scent still has a _tiny_ effect on him. But he's going to bet on the amount of other males standing around what was once _his_ female being the cause for his sudden borderline-crazed state. He pretends he doesn't feel the tingle ride up his back when she shifts from left to right in that nervous way she tends to resort to. He pretends that his hairs don't stand on end when her breaths get shorter and her heart starts beating faster. Pretends that his body isn't tightening and heating and going haywire as her eyes latch onto him and stay there. He can feel himself slipping back and forth between what he knows is right and what his wolf wants more than anything. It overshadows all reasoning once it takes over and he tries desperately to keep it from doing so. But, Jesus… she's so _close_.

"Jake, I need to talk to you," she nearly whispers. "Come with me."

Her hand is on his forearm and _oh my god_, how he wants to just say okay. Forget what happened last time and let her do _whatever_ she wants to him. "Not now, Leah," he grounds out. "This isn't exactly a good time. As you can see, everyone here is about to explode. Please, go home."

He feels her tense beside him, her hand tightening around his arm. He hates feeling the upset of his rejection, but it's pouring off of her and she's so _damn _close. He tries to keep his eyes from moving to her, tries to ignore the persistence and her lack of anger or stubbornness. Because without the anger, without the piercing words and hateful glares, it's just Leah. And if it's just Leah… well then….he's sure he'll have a much harder time saying no. If she came without her defenses up, without the means to fight with him, that leaves very few other purposes. Talking, being one of them. Isn't that what he wants? For her to talk to him? Why did he retract his claim again?

_Well bless my soul…_

_You're a lonely soul…_

_Cause you wont let go…_

_Of anything you hold…_

"Jacob….please. This is what you wanted, right? Well here I am… putting myself out there.. _literally_.. I want to talk. Now c'mon."

He can hear Sam growling, his body on the verge of an internal break down. Jacob looks to a nervous Seth, then to Embry who is clutching Quil for support. Quil who is slowly making his way away from the camp site. Jacob gives them a small smile before nodding and they're gone before he can blink. He supposes it's easier for Quil, always being on the receiving end of Leah's harshest punishments, blatantly showing favoritism to he and Embry and Seth. Jacob sighs loudly and looks back to Sam, the only remaining contender. He thinks of telling her no, of just leaving their relationship, if that's what you want to call it, where it lies. But as soon as his eyes shift enough to see her face, he's broken, and he knows it. Sue and Billy and Old Quil are yelling from their places up on the ledge. Jacob nearly laughs when he catches a glimpse of Sue bouncing up and down, waving her hands like a maniac, trying to get someone's attention. He doesn't really understand what she or his father or _Old_ Quil, for that matter, think they'll accomplish by screaming the way they are. If he and Sam are going to fight, there's nothing to be done. If he decides to take Leah back into the woods, he'll do so.

"So… I'm not saying either of you should, well, ya know… but, uh, are we really going to stand here all night?"

Jacob turns to Seth and grimaces. So much for keeping their personal business personal. "Seth… go home."

"I thought it wasn't," Seth begins, noting the pained look his Alpha has acquired.

"I was wrong."

To his surprise, Seth laughs. "Figures."

He looks back to Leah and gives her a short nod. They both begin backing away and to Jacob's relief, Sam remains planted to his spot. Somehow, between leaving the beach and finding the same exact spot they ended up in last time, he loses all of the anger and resentment he'd held steadily since he let her go. It's been three days and she hasn't called, hasn't come by. It was a subtle confirmation to what he not-so-subtly accused her of. Obviously, she didn't care. Obviously, it didn't mean as much to her as it did to him.

And just like that… - the anger resurfaces.

_Do you know what your fate is?And are you trying to shake it?You're doing your best andYour best lookYou're praying that you make it_

He stops, snatches his hand away. "What do you want, Leah?"

"I didn't want this," she mutters. "I didn't want you to take it back."

She's turned to face him and he's finding it much easier to ignore the overwhelming scent lingering between them. Her face is soft, calm. He doesn't understand the sudden change in demeanor.

"I know."

Her brows furrow. "What do you mean you know?"

"I knew you didn't want me to take it back. I could tell."

"So why did you!"

"I wanted you to say it," he says firmly. "Working off facial expressions gets old, Lee. I just wanted to hear you say it."

"You realize the rest of the pack has gone through _hell_ because of this? Because my heat came on too suddenly for anyone to be ready! Kim and Jared have been fighting non stop because of it. Sam's sudden urge to be happily mated for life has sent Emily into some kind of imprint depression! Jesus, Jake! If you knew why couldn't you have just left made your point and given me some time or something!"

"Just get to the point," he breathes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Say whatever it is you wanted to say…. Let's get this over with."

He ignores the slight flinch and holds onto the reserve he's suddenly found. If she's going to try and continue the bullshit game they've been playing, he'll need something to keep him on track.

She shifts, lets out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry."

He waits for her to continue, his interest peaked now that she's openly apologized. But he can see her eyes slowly glazing over. Her shoulders are squaring. She's breathing too hard. She's being too quiet. In t-minus five seconds, they'll be back to square one. So, with a roll of his eyes and an irritated sigh, he gives her the out she's always waiting for.

"You wanna know why I was so upset?" She nods tentatively and he motions for her to sit down. "I didn't _want_ to let you know exactly how much I care about you. I didn't _want_ you to know that I'm in love with you and that I need you. But every time you asked me before all this happened, I told you the truth. You never believed me, but I always told you. I respect you enough to tell you the truth, no matter what you might say or think. I care enough about you and how you feel, that even if I want to, I would never let you think I don't care when I do."

Her mouth opens but he holds his hand up, stopping her.

"I mean… I defended you. Got in some weird Alpha fight with Sam and put myself and our relationship out there in front of _everyone_… for you. They were all in my head, know how I feel. I wake up and Seth is here….fucking _Seth_. Kim and Emily. Paul and Jared and Embry and Quil. Everyone is here accept for you. Do you know how fucking embarrassing that is? I tell Sam that we're together, that you do care about me and that we're taking things slow. I keep telling them throughout the entire week that you'll show. You're just upset. I tell them, because they're asking. Because you're my mate and you should be worried about me. Do you know how bad that fucking _hurt_? I felt like a little kid telling my family and friends that my mom is coming back when they all know it's not true. Do you know how _painful_ it was when I finally had to acknowledge the fact that you weren't gonna show?"

For the first time in a while, she honestly feels guilty. Guilty for hurting him. Guilty for messing up what they started. Guilty for not being there when he obviously wanted her to be, maybe needed. He's forced to look away from her when he sees a tear forming in the corner of her eye.

"I didn't know," she defends weakly.

"You didn't even ask," he snaps. "I told them not to tell you anything unless you asked and I cant say I was surprised when you never did."

"I'm sorry." She closes her eyes, attempting to reel her emotions in for a moment. "It was too much at one time. But I didn't want you to take it back. I still want to be with you."

"Because you want me or because I'm an easy way to get out of your heats?"

She's been expecting it, but it doesn't take the edge away. "Because I want you."

He doesn't say anything, doesn't look at her.

She lets the silence drag on for as long as she possibly can and lets out a loud breath. "I love you, I do," she mutters. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

She's barely said anything and yet here he is, wanting nothing more than to erase the last week and a half. He finally stands and looks at her, hating the streaks on her face left behind by the tears he's been trying to ignore. It suddenly doesn't seem so worth it, hearing her say whatever it is he's been waiting to hear. Maybe it wasn't anything specific… just _something_. Something that wasn't an insult or to let him know that it was more than an accident. Crossing the small space between them, he brushes her hair from her face and rests his forehead on hers, his thumb wiping away the tear on her cheek.

"Honestly, it's a little hard to talk about this stuff right now," he whispers, her scent absorbing every bit of self control he's maintained so far. "Go home, we'll talk about this later… when you're not so…"

The words die on his tongue as soon as he feels her hands sliding up his stomach, wrapping around his back. Her head is pressed into his chest, her body covering every inch of him.

"C'mon, Lee," he breathes. "Work with me here."

"Stay here with me," she says calmly. "I want you….just you."

His mind doesn't turn to a pile of mush as he expected when she spoke the words, but there's no desire to fight it anymore. She looks up at him and he honestly cant remember how they got to this point, why he retracted his claim….it seems so silly now. But even with the slight regret he feels on the subject, a smile graces his face with the knowledge that he gets to do it again. He takes her hand and kisses her knuckles, then turns and leads her in the direction they came.

"Where are we going?" she asks, her brows furrowed.

"No worries," he says softly. "You'll thank me later."

* * *

_Whenever the end is_

_Do you think you can see it?_

_Well, until you get there_

_Go on, go ahead and scream it_

_Just say _

* * *

a/n. Last chapter coming soon. ^-^

Reviews!


	9. 3 Years Faking

**Heat Activated**

**By: Cucumber07**

**Chapter 9- 3 Years Faking. **

**a/n. Takes place 3 years after the last chapter. **

**.**

He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a peaceful afternoon. Between Seth's constant company and Leah's hormonal rampages, it was usually rather irritating just to _be_. Throw in a few other loud, obtrusive members of the pack and Jacob's hair would be falling out by the end of each day, only to grow back through the night as he slept. His head was usually pounding and his chest was usually heavy with agitated tension, all accumulating to an inevitable outburst on his part directed at someone who probably didn't deserve it. Yeah, times were tough. But not today. Today he was alone and he was calm and the weather was absolutely perfect, allowing him to perch on his favorite spot down beside the Cleawater's lake. The sun was hovering between midday and evening and the breeze gave just the right amount of release from the unusual heat that'd been gracing La Push and Forks for the past week or so. He hadn't got a text demanding his presence or a phone call from a disgruntled Esme, heaven help her, asking him to remove his ruffian lessers from her property. The water looked like liquid ecstasy and the only thing keeping him from jumping in was that niggling feeling that hadn't left him since the day he'd taken over for Sam.

He smiled despite himself when he thought back to the beginning of their torturous trade off, the one up he'd gained unintentionally, rather, unknowingly. He couldn't say with a straight face that if he'd had all the info he'd have changed his mind. Leah was infectious on a good day and that wasn't taking into consideration those friggin' hormones that came around every so often, just to remind him that he was at her complete and unyielding mercy. Maybe he'd have gone about it differently, a little more carefully, but he seriously doubted the outcome would have been different. Of course she was still infuriating and sometimes, every so often, she'd push him to that place he'd been when he retracted the claim. A place where he just _couldn't_ fathom why he wanted her, why he put up with her. She wouldn't apologize until she realized just how serious he was and he wanted to cheer for himself when he was able to remember that look she'd get when she'd find him a few days later, scrunched and annoyed and _sorry_. Her apologies were bullshit most of the time, him having to do most of the talking, but they sufficed once she pulled out all those blasted weapons he so despised when he was looking for an _actual_ note of sincerity.

He hated the physicality of a relationship now. He hated the wordless apologies and all those things she _still_ couldn't say to him. He wasn't sure what was going through her mind when she said he didn't understand, when she said that he could never understand because he wasn't her and apparently that was supposed to _mean_ something to him. It didn't, of course, because she sounded completely off her head during that particular argument. He'd told her that, too. And it'd been the first time he'd noticed something off about her. She'd flipped her shit more than usual and then he smelled it when she stormed by. He knew she was pregnant two weeks before she did.

"Is there any specific reason you're out here all sulky-like? Or are you just being anti-social?"

His solace came to a screeching halt when he heard her voice, but his mind stayed firmly planted in everything that's lead them up to this point. He had to admit, he always got a little crazy around this time. When her 'cycle' should have taken place, but was always held back by, well _him,_ he supposed.

"Anti-social," he conceded quietly.

She raised a brow. "And do I fall into this anti category or am I allowed?"

"Just give me a minute, alright?"

He heard her sigh, shift a little behind him, and he made a point not to look at her. If he looked then he'd falter and he really didn't feel like being that guy today. Call it stress or wariness or _exhaustion_, it didn't really matter. They both knew he had plenty of reason to be frustrated, maybe even a little bitter, and he couldn't help the resentment that flared when he thought of the date and how close they were to being parents and how long they'd actually been doing this dance. Their children, their triplets, would enter this world with absolutely no security. How could they, when he himself wasn't secure? He didn't know if Leah would fall into one of her funks and kick him out or if he'd be the one kicking _her_ out because she'd gone _too far_ this time. It was always too far, though, if he was being honest. The things she said to him and the things he said to her… they were just wrong. It was all wrong. They were _meant_ to be together, he knew that. He could feel it in every inch of himself when they were near each other. His wolf had accepted it three years ago when he'd found her in the woods, and he'd followed closely behind when she'd sought him out in the midst of another heat and he'd reinstated it. Nobody had objected this time. Not even Sam. Everyone knew it…. Everyone but her, apparently.

He could still feel her there, watching him, and he wondered just what it was stuck in her throat this time. Was it a simple, _are you okay?_ Or maybe something a little more complex like, _I'm sorry for being such a twat this morning_? He supposed it didn't really matter, he would never hear it. She'd stand there until he turned and caved and reassured her with everything she wanted to hear and pretended that he was absolutely fine with how things were going. He'd done as she asked him that night, reclaimed her as his, with promises of change and effort and an equality of sorts once things simmered down and they settled into a routine. And settle they did. Sue moved in with Old Quil out of convenience, he begrudgingly moved into the Clearwater home, and everything after that had been such a fucking blur he couldn't honestly remember if he'd ever _tried_ to reinforce anything from their agreement. Had he ever voiced his discontent with the situation? Ah, fuck it, of course he had. There was no denying the blatant evading and the continuous distraction she tried to play on him. He'd fight it at first, just as he was doing now, and then she'd get upset or she'd get flustered with words she just _couldn't_ get out and he'd, like an idiot, feel sorry for her and forget. Maybe it had seemed like the best solution at the time, while they were new and unstable and still working through their discomfort with the situation despite their feelings. But now it was just frustrating. Maddening, really.

He thought of that night, of how perfectly beautiful it had all seemed. A halo of hair fanning across his bed sheets, her fingers tracing every inch of him, memorizing him, _loving _him. He'd never forget her eyes. They were molten and open and everything she was feeling had been so vividly clear to him. Every kiss had been weighted with promise, every stroke had been laden with feeling and pleasure and trust. They had been so completely _whole_ he'd thought it impossible to ever separate himself from her. The days had melted together and, before either had realized, a week had passed. An entire week. And she'd been _his_, only _his_, for the entirety of every second, every minute, every hour, every day. They didn't even eat until the eighth day, when their bodies just couldn't take it anymore. Even then, the days following, had been blissful. She'd been serene and so bright with his love, with love _for_ him, and it had chased all his doubts away. Wrongfully so, he quickly learned, as soon as their first fight came about. It had been moving, he recalled. He didn't want to move into her mother's house, he wanted to get a place for them, away from the immediate vicinity of their families, of their past. But that was too much commitment, it would seem, and it was only then that realization dawned on him.

That had been the first year. They'd agreed that there was no rushing her acceptance of his claim, that it didn't matter because they both knew how she felt. She failed to understand that two additional years was a long time to wait, and when the words began to fail her again, the physicality just wasn't enough. I love you had never seemed like such a heavy statement until he was the only one saying it, and hadn't been on the receiving end of it in god knows how long. Asking her always led to the same inevitable response; _You know how I feel_. And when that eventually quit satisfying him, he was tired of sounding like a whiney bitch and just stopped initiating personal conversations altogether. He stopped initiating anything that even resembled feeling, and he knew it hurt her, that it was _still_ hurting her. But he couldn't bring himself to be that anymore. To be the sap and the only one that seemed interested in the romantic part of a relationship. That had never been him. Even if he'd wanted it to be. He wanted to feel secure, just like everyone else, just like _her_. And being denied something so simple from someone who _'loved_' him was like a knife being dragged carelessly through his heart. Every dismissal of his trying to cuddle and nuzzle and all those other mushy things his friends would have laughed at him for doing was a slap to the face. Every time he let those three words slip and was comforted only by silence afterward was a kick to the gut. It was physically exhausting to be the only one that gave a shit. Emotionally damning. And his strength was wavering. Noticeably.

The only thing he had left to grasp at were the three cubs she was carrying.

"Seriously, Jake, everyone is waiting…"

Something about the impatience in her voice pissed him off. Surprisingly so. "I don't give a shit," he stated cooly, his face morphing to indifference as she moved to his side. He turned to her, gave her a brief once over, turned back to face the water.

He could _feel_ her confusion and he hated it.

"It's _our _barbecue, Jacob. It's kinda our job to be there to-"

"I have too many jobs as it is," he broke in, frowning. "I don't need, nor did I _ask_, for another one."

Her eyes were wide with suppressed irritation, her wavering patience clear in her balled fists. "I _told_ you about this like a week ago! If you didn't want to do it you should have said something."

"Would there have been a point to my objecting?" he asked flippantly, rolling his eyes at her immediate, predictable reaction. "You would have done it anyway. This isn't my house, remember?"

Their argument from earlier came flooding back to her and surprise registered on her face for the smallest of moments. Her features were schooled before she spoke again. "Are you _still_ -"

"Don't chastise me for being upset about something we both know has been bothering me for a long time now," he interrupted her again, his frown deepening to an unflattering point. "And don't pretend like it's nothing, Leah. You using something like that against me is just…. Just.. -"

She waited with a surprising amount of anxiety for what he was about to say, not able to remember a time when he looked _this_ serious. It wasn't that he was yelling or screaming or throwing things and spewing curses at her. He wasn't. And that was all wrong.

What was even more unnerving was his inability to finish his sentence, shaking his head and obviously dismissing the subject before they actually broached it. She was tempted to leave it, to continue pushing him to go inside and do something about Paul and Quil's incessant arguing. But there was something to the slump in his shoulders, something deep and disturbing about his frown, something that made her want to reach out and touch him; just to be sure she still could. It was unsettling, the way he refused to meet her eyes. She knew she should do something, _say_ something. That's been their main problem all along, right? Her inability to voice certain things. Thousands of words prodded at the back of her lips, hundreds of different phrases and questions she could have, should have, said or asked. They all would have been fine, more than fine, probably. Because it was initiative, and he would have appreciated it.

But as soon as her mouth opened, she felt that familiar pang of defensiveness creeping through her veins, burning her from the inside out. There were a thousand different reasons why she should have tried to _fix_ this, but all that registered was the one reason she couldn't.

"Why are you being so damn moody, Black?"

And that had been it. Whatever reasoning he had for the anger he felt toward her, for the way he bristled every time she came near him, for the need to just get _away_ from her dissipated into a giant pile of dust, and he made no attempt to stop it. He slid off the wooden fence he'd been on, turned to face her with a strange sort of determination, a look that truly made her nervous despite her best efforts not to be. His shoulders squared and his face was a vision of stone, his entirety no longer wavering in her presence.

"So we're back to last name's now, _Clearwater_?" he spat harshly, paying no mind to her flinch. "I figured it'd happen eventually, though I'm surprised you've lasted this long."

She couldn't quite put her finger on it; why she felt so damn jittery. Like she was missing something and he was acting on it while she was left in this odd limbo, trying to keep up with his uncharacteristic tone. It didn't make sense to her, but he looked as if he'd been coiled, ready to release at any second.

She let a slow breath out through barely parted lips, subconsciously ran a hand over her very swollen stomach. "I didn't.. it was an -"

"Accident," he finished, rolling his eyes. "Yeah. Heard it before. Try something else. Something new."

Her eyes widened slightly, her head recoiled slightly. "What is your _problem_?"

"Nothing," he drawled, enunciating every syllable with a dramatic display of hand motions. "Why in the world would you think there was anything wrong, Leah? _Christ_ as if I have anything to be angry about…"

She huffed, shifted to her other hip impatiently. "Honestly, Jacob, this is ridiculous! I was irritated this morning! I didn't feel like dealing with anything and you just kept-"

"-pushing," he stated with a frown. "God forbid I want something more than a two word answer when something is fucking with my _head!_ How can you stand there and act like I'm being unreasonable? Like I have no reason in the world to be acting this way?"

Her frown matched his, her traitorous eyes beginning to water a bit. "You said you were happy," she challenged. "When I asked you last week, why you were being so distant and, well, fucking closed off, you said you were fine. That you were happy."

"I LIED!" He bellowed, taking a step forward. "I fucking _lied_, Leah! I've lied to you over and over and _over_ again. I've _surprised_ myself with how many lies I could actually come up with!" He paused, ran a hand down his face. "And you never _once_ thought to question it."

He gave her a knowing look, tilting his head slightly as if addressing a child. "You knew, Lee. Don't play dumb," his lip curled a little, mind whirling around all their arguments, "it doesn't suit you in the slightest."

And then there was the hurt. She narrowed her eyes, forcing out one of those _fucking _tears they both despised, and he could feel his insides light up, scorching every inch of him. "You are being a fucking-"

"Ass hole?" he offered. "A prick? A douche bag? A bitch?" he rolled his eyes, his lids heavy and his face almost forlorn. "I've heard it all before."

She felt that friggin' anxiety shit reaching a peak, making her breaths come in strange rasps and her palms were sweating against her angry fingertips. "What the hell do you want me to say, Jacob? I don't even know what you're going on about so how can I defend myself-"

"There!" he half-yelled, pointed a finger as if he'd struck gold. "_That_ is why you and me," pointer finger moved between them quickly "you and I will _never_ be happy."

He scoffed at her pained expression. "Guess that got your attention, huh?" Leah took a step back, he didn't try and stop her. "When was the last time you told me you loved me?"

She rolled her eyes, a snarky retort inches from leaving her lips.

"Don't," his hand was up, halting her. "I lost fuckin' count of the days, that's how long. When was the last time we agreed on anything? When I didn't get blindsided by something you claimed to have planned _with_ me? When we went out a friggin' _date_!"

She was fidgeting, uncomfortable with the conversation but unable to find an escape. He looked so upset….so damn _hurt_.

"When I claimed you-"

"Oh my _god_, Jacob!" she groaned. "I don't want to _talk_ about that right now! I thought we-"

"Well we didn't. Now shut up and let me talk because I've spent the last three years listening to your silence… I think I deserve that much, don't you?"

Her defenses were _begging_ her to yell at him, to tell him to shut up and drop that fucking subject she hated _so much_. But there was a part of her, the part that wanted to remember that night, wanted to remember how perfect everything had been for that short period of time, before she went and fucked it all up again. She'd been surprised that he stayed after the first time when he so quickly retracted his ties to her. Then again, she'd been a little more subtle about it the second time around. Learning from her own mistakes and weaving around things more so than hitting him with them head on. She tried. Really, she had. But the doubt wouldn't leave her, and her defense fed off the doubt. It was a stupid cycle, really, when she considered Jacob and everything he'd put up with after round two of their heat-induced sex fest. When she considered him and the time he'd put in, the millions of things he'd done to earn her trust, to earn her love. And she loved him. More than words could ever describe even if she was able to open that friggin' mouth of hers.

"Yes," she breathed in a rare moment of submission. "Yes, you do… but I still don't understand-"

"Let me talk," he ground out. "And then I'm sure you'll understand perfectly."

He put some distance between them, letting his shoulder thump against a large tree trunk, his eyes still roving intensely over her face. "I'm tired of pretending," he began slowly, his hand back up in the air when he saw her mouth open slightly, stopping her. "I'm tired of being the only one who cares. Of you acting as if everything's fine and dandy when you _know_ it's not…" He took a breath, steeled himself. "Why haven't you finished it?"

She shook her head. "I don't-"

"The _claim_, Leah."

She concentrated on how his eyes closed when he spoke, on how his irritation was so obviously simmering just below the forced patience. It was almost foreign, how _exasperated_ he seemed to be with her. She felt her chest constrict with thoughts of what was coming next, of what he was inevitably going to say.

"I.. I don't…" she could feel herself flustering, getting pissed off at how hard it was to answer him.

He apparently wasn't in the mood for it.

"Forget it," he bit out in her silence, pushing himself from the tree. "Forget I ever said anything. Forget and pretend and tell yourself that I'll get over it." He watched her flinch, watched her eyes and her nose and her mouth scrunch and pucker with suppressed hurt. Now she knew how he felt. "But I'm telling you now," he warned her quietly, his nose inches away from her face now. "I'm done. I'm not playing this game anymore."

It smacked her in the gut and refused to let words save her.

"I'm done with never knowing, with feeling like I've imagined every single time you've ever told me you loved me. I'm done feeling like nothing's ever good enough."

He sounded too desperate now, she could hear all the built up hurt and neglect and it made her insides churn. It made her feel fucking guilty. "You know how I feel about you," she said weakly, hating the way his face fell into that half broken shade of grey.

He was going to give up. It was all there, taunting her in the way his mouth twitched into an exasperated half-smile, the way his eyes fell to the ground, the way his fingers loosened from balled fists. She wanted him to keep fighting, even if he was pushing her, because if they were fighting, he couldn't leave. That's what it's been about all along, right?

Dark eyes lifted one more time, tension the only thing keeping him moving forward and away from the tree. She swallowed a thick glob of regret and took a good, long look at his chest.

"I'm going inside now. . -"

"Jacob we're not finished."

His eyes closed and if she interrupted him again, he was fully prepared to walk away without another word. She seemed to catch on in the silence. "I'm going inside and I'm going to eat. I'm going to spend the rest of my night pretending like this conversation never happened. . . . And then I'm going to get my pillow and I'm going to sleep. On the couch. Away from you."

He'd done it. Exactly what he'd been trying to avoid when initiating this conversation. Inevitable as it may have been, this isn't what he wanted. It was physically painful to move past her, emotionally torturous hearing her crying in the same spot he'd left her in, psychologically damaging to open the back door and plaster the fakest smile he's ever managed when Seth and Paul and Embry greet him with more enthusiasm than he deserves. The food felt like acid going down his throat when she walked through the door and went on about her business, joking and playing around with her mother and his father. Both who were so blissfully unaware of what was to come.

He envied them that.

He envied them the conversations they had with her and the friendly, playful demeanor she always showed to them. He envied her brother in the way he always pulled a smile out of her, no matter what. He envied Embry in the way she always sought him out when she needed someone to talk to. He envied Paul in the way she never lacked fire to throw back in his face when he asked for it. It was sad, the way he wished he could be anyone else. The way he still, after _everything_ that had happened, wished she would - _could_ - love him the way she seemed to love them. The way she felt comfortable enough to tell them. Sometimes he even envied Sam. Yeah, they aren't even on speaking terms now. But the time he had with her had to have been like Heaven. That little taste Jacob had been given, Sam got to experience for over a year. Nothing in the way. Nothing stopping them.

His stomach turned when Sue and Old Quil and Billy headed to the door.

"See you guys soon," Sue said sweetly. "Take care of my babies, Jacob."

Her smile tore a hole in his defenses.

It was almost time.

"Alright, so I got patrols tomorrow, right?"

Jacob nodded at Paul, willing him not to leave.

"See ya round."

The door closing nearly shattered his mindset.

"I'd stay, Jake, but you _did_ order me to the Cullen's tonight."

Embry's back set his heart to shattering his ribcage.

And then there was Seth. The last thing standing between him and a decision he really never wanted to make. Leah's mask had taken quite a hit, it seemed, when she realized what Jacob had been preparing himself for all night. Her eyes, bright and gleeful only moments before, had dimmed noticeably. He didn't miss the way her hands were clasped in her lap, rigid and so tense he was sure she'd smack Seth at any second, just to get rid of some of it. When he announced his departure, when he made the short walk to the door, when he'd been gone for less than twenty seconds, just long enough to be out of earshot, Jacob stood up and left the room.

Being in their room was like being tied down and set on fire. Everything reminded him of something. He grasped at some of the good memories, just to be sure he _could_, and regretted it almost instantly. Pictures, clothes, jewelry, even the _chair_ made him want to smash it into a million pieces. He snatched his pillow and practically _ran_ down the stairs, only to find her still sitting on the couch, looking at the TV like it was going to attack her at any second. It'd have been less unnerving if it were on.

"You're really sleeping on the couch?"

Her voice sounded so small. Like something was choking her and she was fighting just to breathe. He felt like rolling his eyes. And probably would have if he hadn't seen the shimmer in her eyes, the attempt to hide it behind eyelashes and hair.

"I told you, Leah," he said, and sounded a lot stronger than he felt. "I'm done playing this game. It either is or it isn't, I'm not living in between anymore."

He swore he saw her lip quiver, and doubt started wriggling its way into his head.

"I don't know what you want," she nearly whispered. "How can I fix it when I don't know how?"

He wanted to run. Run like hell and never look back because whatever she was playing at, it was working. Guilt and uncertainty were tugging at his eyeballs and his tongue felt like someone had taken a wrench to it and clamped it down, making damn sure he wouldn't say anything incriminating.

"You do know, Leah. You know exactly what's wrong. You know what I want and you know exactly what you have to do to _start_ fixing it. You've known for three years. You just don't want to….. And that's the problem."

He watched her stand, watched her move across the room, watched her fight back the tears. "Goodnight, Jacob."

He'd thought it was painful to walk away from her before.. . . . Only because he didn't know what it would feel like for her to walk away from him.

He left his pillow in the middle of the living room floor, and the back door wide open when he left.

.

**a/n. DON'T SAY IT! I know I suck.**

**Anyway, I know you're like wtf? This fic was so NOT angst-like before and now I heaped a whole chapter of it. But this is just what I came up with. Who _really _wants a simple ending with a simple resolution? See. Nobody. *Ducks away from glares***

**So, as you can tell, I've got another chapter coming. I couldn't get this into one.**

**Hopefully I'll have it out quicker than 6 months. Seriously. It'd be nice.**

**I hope you all enjoyed it, as strange and random as it was. =) Reviews would REALLY make me happy.**


End file.
